March 6

The first stop of the morning took us to the 18th floor of Pioneer China's corporate conference room. Though we had personal experiences with this company in the U.S., we were surprised with the differences in doing business here. In some areas of China, the average farm size is a mu (1/6 acre), so 4,000 seed count bags are sold. With lack of wide-spread mechanization, hand planting, continuous manual labor, and land limitations under the household responsibility system, Pioneer's customers face many different challenges. We were surprised to find out Pioneer has come to China (and is succeeding) but only after many years of investment. Since 2004, their research and development here has battled intellectual property rights and government regulations before gains in market share have finally been realized. The head of Pioneer China shared this came from them bringing their best products (though knowing some would be pirated) and humbly respecting their food security goals and offering help - instead of dictating best practices. Pioneer came to China to meet needs instead of worrying about social and government issues. A surprising difference we learned was the structure of seed companies, as seed is sold to the local dealer, who sells to the retail stores in the county, who sells to the farmers. Messages between Pioneer and the farmers are lost in this long chain.
Our next host was the manager of a dairy, slaughterhouse, feedlot, and restaurants, among other ventures. His dairy operation was based on the system he had seen in MN. Through our translator, we learned the impact of foreign influence, as German machinery, New Zealand genetics, and U.S. technology all played roles on their dairy farm. We were all surprised with how comparable the operation was to where we're from. The same issues of rising feed costs and labor scarcity also affect them. However, we noticed a stark difference in how they handle vaccines and treatments of common dairy diseases. Since only certain vaccines are available, many cows are culled that would otherwise be treated in the U.S. At the slaughterhouse, less regulation and its "kosher" Muslim status interested us. This small plant processes about 400 head per day which is then sold locally. Our host then showed us the feedlot where they finish cattle to between 636-818 kilos (1400-1800 pounds). Most of the fed cattle are Simmental crossed bulls, fed corn silage and hay. For labor ease, cattle stay tied to the feed bunk - always.
Finally, we went to a "hot pot" restaurant, also owned by our host. This traditional Chinese eating experience, where a boiling pot of water sat in front of each person, was fun for each of us. We could choose what to cook on our pot, like mutton, beef, shrimp, potatoes, mushrooms, sprouts, and more. After dropping it in the pot, the food was quickly ready, so we ate it with a soy sauce seasoned with cilantro and onions. The craziest part was the shrimp - it was the whole shrimp with its head and eyes. On our way back, our wonderful Chinese tour guide, Michelle, serenaded us with a song from the Beijing summer Olympics and Peking Opera. We loved it!