"Left And Right Banks" Along Chishui River

The Bordeaux wine producing areas in France are divided into left bank and right bank by the Garonne River, the Gironde River and the Dordogne River.

On the left bank, the famous Medoc and upper Medoc are located; on the right bank, there are different styles of pompehau and San Emilion, where many sons were born. "Left and right banks" have jointly achieved Bordeaux's world status.

Thousands of miles away, there is also a wine river which has not been polluted by any heavy industry. The area it flows through is also mild and humid with a long frost free period. The "right bank" here is more famous. The plants of Maotai Group, including Maotai liquor and Xijiu, are arranged on the bank. Compared with Bordeaux, hundreds of small and medium-sized liquor enterprises on the left bank across the Chishui River have not yet formed the taste differences with world influence and the binding force of self-regulation.

On the Bank of Chishui River, at the just concluded round table conference on the development of Guizhou liquor enterprises, Wu Xiangdong, chairman of Jindong investment group, who invested a lot of money in the establishment of liquor making bases and supporting facilities in Renhuai, thought that the layout of French liquor production areas is most worth learning from how to gradually make small production areas in Guizhou liquor producing areas into production areas with their own characteristics.

France has Bordeaux, China has the world distillation center, the world Maotai flavor liquor industry base, and the Renhuai sauce liquor core area. Li Baofang, vice chairman of the environmental and Resource Protection Committee of the 13th people's Congress of Guizhou Province and former party secretary and chairman of Maotai Group, proposed for the first time to create a "big Maotai" production area covering Renhuai, Xishui and Jinsha.

However, there is still a long way to go for the liquor producing areas in Guizhou Province from the four "first-class" proposed by Guizhou provincial Party committee and government.

There is a huge gap between the left bank and the right bank in the middle reaches of Chishui River in terms of raw material guarantee and standard management. When the price of Maotai liquor rises too fast and too high, the extremely unbalanced development situation often accumulates risks.

"In recent years, the number of Liquor Enterprises above designated scale in Guizhou accounted for about 10% of the national liquor industry, and the annual liquor production accounted for only 3.5-4%, but the main business income accounted for more than 20%, and the profit accounted for more than 40% Ma Yong, vice president and Secretary General of China Food Industry Association, said that under the continuous fermentation of "sauce liquor fever", Guizhou Maotai has not only broken through 100 billion yuan in revenue, but also become the world's top distilled liquor champion. Other backbone enterprises such as Xi Jiu, jinshajiao liquor, Guotai, Dongjiu, Zhenjiu, Renmin Xiaojiu and guizhouchun have gradually embarked on the track of sustainable growth. Natural resources, historical inheritance and consumption driven laid the foundation for the high quality development of Guizhou liquor during the "14th five year plan".

"However, after a long period of high-speed development, there are many problems left over, which should be paid attention to and reasonably planned to curb the excessive growth of high-end products. We need to develop both speed and quality. " He said.

Behind the competition of Maotai flavor distilleries on both sides of Chishui River is the competition for local sorghum. This is the red sorghum of Zunyi that farmers have collected this year. Wenjing

Right bank: use the most expensive sorghum in the world

In Bordeaux, France, every time you visit a winery, the first thing you see is a large number of standardized vineyards.

In the scattered factories along the Chishui River in Renhuai City, Guizhou Province, the grains cooked by roasted wine cannot be separated from sorghum mixed with Daqu.

Hongyingzi glutinous sorghum, as one of the Local Sorghum Varieties in Zunyi City, is called "Hongliang" together with other local sorghum. Red sorghum is the main raw material of Renhuai Maotai flavor liquor. Different from Bordeaux, it did not compete with the factory buildings in Maotai town. Hongliang was mostly distributed in other towns and surrounding counties of Renhuai City.

If the Chishui River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, flows through green hills and green lands, which are the "blood" of Maotai town to produce good liquor, then Hongliang is the "meat" of Maotai liquor. Wine has "seven raw materials", Renhuai Maotai flavor liquor left red sorghum, like cooking without rice.

"The Organic Sorghum for Maotai liquor production is known as the most expensive sorghum in the world because of its unique variety resources and non replicability." On November 4, Deng Xiaohua, chief of the agricultural technology extension section of Zunyi agricultural and rural Bureau, told reporters in the 21st century economic report by telephone that four bases of organic red sorghum raw material supply for Maotai liquor were in Zunyi City, distributed in Renhuai, Xishui, Bozhou and Huichuan.

2 yuan per kilogram! In Renhuai City, the price of Organic Sorghum is as transparent as that of Maotai liquor.

"Maotai Group Series liquor and other large and medium-sized sauce liquor enterprises use green red sorghum, and the price is about 3.5 yuan per kilogram." Deng Xiaohua said that the sorghum transported from the north is only about 1.6 yuan per kilogram, which is still the CIF price.

According to the Maotai liquor market released by Henan Maofen club on October 7, the price of the 500 ml 53 degree Feitian Maotai liquor listed on the market was as high as 2765 yuan / bottle, which was 5 yuan / bottle higher than the previous day. Feitian in bulk increased by 20 yuan / bottle. The price of red tassel red sorghum, a special grain for Maotai liquor, is nearly three times that of foreign sorghum!

"80% of the Red Sorghum raw materials in the whole province come from Zunyi. Red sorghum liquor is mainly used for brewing Maotai flavor liquor. Compared with the downstream liquor products, the price of raw materials is relatively stable. Last year and this year, the purchase price of organic red sorghum of Maotai Group has not changed, which is 4.6 yuan per kilogram. " According to the relevant person of Zunyi agricultural and rural Bureau, compared with the market price fluctuation of liquor, the fluctuation of raw material production has a more direct impact on its price, just like the massive production reduction in 2018, and the purchase price of red sorghum has gone up.

During a visit to Maotai Town, 21st century economic reporter heard that many liquor companies reported that there was a lot of rain in the first half of this year, and some farmers took the seeds late, resulting in the sorghum rotten in the field and could not be harvested. "It seems that sauce wine will go up next year." In Luban Town, Renhuai City, there are farmers' forecasts.

"This year's weather is not as good as last year's, but the output is relatively stable, which is due to the city's emphasis on the Red Sorghum Industry and the expansion of planting area this year." Deng Xiaohua said.

In 2018, with the high growth of revenue and net profit of Maotai, Guizhou, about 30% year-on-year, the planting of Red Sorghum in Zunyi City ushered in the peak period. This year, Zunyi City "on accelerating the implementation of high-quality development of Red Sorghum Industry" issued.

"This year, the planting area of Red Sorghum in Zunyi City increased by 260000 Mu compared with last year, and the planting area and order area ranked first in the province." Deng Xiaohua said.

Unlike Bordeaux landlords who often own large vineyards, in Zunyi, Guizhou, sorghum is sold to farmers by order. Through the order planting mode of liquor enterprises + companies + bases + professional cooperatives + farmers, liquor enterprises signed an order agreement with the storage company to release the raw material demand to the storage company. The collection and storage companies sign agreements with township or professional cooperatives to organize professional cooperatives or farmers to plant. In the acquisition season, every township in the planting area and even the villages in big points have temporary purchase sites set up by storage companies.

Maotai Group on the right bank of Chishui River has not only created a price benchmark for Chinese Maotai flavor liquor, but also a collector and storer of the world's most expensive red sorghum.

"The acquisition of Maotai is scientific, efficient and accurate. When people pay grain, they directly enter the system, and the money for selling grain is directly transferred to the farmer card through the all-in-one card. The advantage of big data management is that organic red sorghum raw materials can be traced all the way. " Zunyi agriculture and rural Bureau said.

Deng Xiaohua told the 21st century economic report that this year, within the scope of Zunyi City, Maotai Group has planted 565000 mu of organic red sorghum and cultivated one mu of organic red sorghum, with farmers' net income of about 3000 yuan. Seeds, fertilizers, biological agents and so on are all invested by enterprises, while farmers only invest labor force.

"We all buy rice. It costs 1.2 yuan per kilogram to plant corn, and three times its purchase price to plant sorghum! " Farmers in Luban town said. As a food crop, the planting area of sorghum has exceeded that of corn, and is second only to rice and potato in Zunyi. In Renhuai City and Xishui County, an average of seven or eight mu of land is planted by a farmer in some professional towns of Organic Red Sorghum Planting, and the income increases by 23000 yuan a year.

Left bank: the way to survive in the shortage of local Red Sorghum

"Now is the key period for the sauce wine to go to the sand, and it is the golden season for the core production area of Renhuai sauce wine in 2021. The kick-off meeting was just held in the morning. Next, we need to organize a team of experts to guide." On November 5, LV Yuhua, executive vice president and Secretary General of Zunyi Liquor Association / Renhuai liquor industry association, went to the enterprise nonstop after receiving the phone call from the 21st century economic report reporter.

"The association is standing at the height of the industry to lead the development of soy sauce wine, to guide and control the quality of small and medium-sized enterprises." He said that enterprises without brands and only engaged in basic liquor could not stand the market test. If enterprises enter the field to produce sorghum, they can't make good wine. Sorghum and sorghum in Northeast China include sorghum and sorghum.

According to the data of the association, there are still 1753 enterprises in Renhuai after several rounds of reshuffle. Among them, there are more than 500 liquor enterprises with production license and more than 6000 brands. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 120 enterprises above designated size.

"In fact, the small and medium-sized enterprises here are not small, and the surviving investment scale is over 100 million yuan. Most of Guizhou is a karst landform. One pit costs 100000-200000 yuan a year, and 100 pits is more than 20 million yuan. In addition, factory building, offices and marketing teams are also added. " He said.

Behind LV Yuhua's special emphasis on the quality of SMEs is the insufficient supply of Hongliang in Renhuai City and even Zunyi City.

Relevant people from Zunyi agricultural and rural Bureau told 21st century economic reporter that at present, all raw materials of Maotai liquor come from organic red sorghum base, and hongyingzi is the only organic red sorghum variety designated for Maotai liquor. But at present, the planting area of Red Sorghum in Zunyi City can not meet all the local requirements of other wine enterprises, especially small and medium-sized liquor enterprises.

According to the plan of Zunyi municipal government, by 2020, the total output of Red Sorghum in Zunyi will reach 325000 tons, and the organic and green certification rate will reach more than 60%. According to the materials provided by the agricultural department, this year, the total output of Red Sorghum in the city has been overfulfilled, reaching 358000 tons, but there is still a gap in the use of sorghum.

"In the past, small and medium-sized enterprises used a small amount of local Red Sorghum based on cost considerations. Now, with the intervention of market supervision departments, the saying of local glutinous sorghum can't be printed on the packaging bottles. Through the guidance and publicity of the government, the use of local raw materials will continue to improve. " Deng Xiaohua said.

"The scope of red sorghum, including sorghum in the surrounding counties and cities of Renhuai, meets the requirements. The Red Sorghum in Jinsha, Xishui and laozunyi counties in western Guizhou is all grown in a small climate." Lu Yuhua said.

It is the practice of many small wine enterprises on the left bank of Chishui River to make wine by mixing local sorghum with foreign sorghum.

On October 31, 21st century economic reporter drove from Maotai town to Luban town. A large sorghum warehouse was unloading goods and a machine in the warehouse was processing sorghum. It is said that the reporter of the 21st century economic report came to purchase. The workers tore a hole in the sack piled high at the door of the warehouse, and the red and white sorghum grains were exposed.

"This is the local red sorghum, 3 yuan / Jin, 120 Jin / bag. 10 tons, 8 tons. That's what you want. " The other side said.

When the reporter could not make up his mind, the other side pointed to the sacks piled up in the warehouse and said that the sorghum here was brought from various provinces, and tens of thousands of tons of sorghum were collected and sold all year round.

In Renhuai, the main use of sorghum is to make wine. Who bought so many foreign sorghum? Which enterprises are using it? I didn't expect that when the workers knew the real identity of the 21st century economic reporter from the driver, they would not answer.

"The sorghum I showed you doesn't look like local red sorghum." In Luban Town, Wu Jun, a professional farmer who invested 3000 mu of sorghum field, looked at the samples taken from the warehouse by the reporter. He said that the red sorghum had thick skin and waxy inside, and the appearance had "Hawk beak" and wrinkled, but it was not found in other places. According to the requirement of 5 jin of grain (2.5 kg of sorghum and 2.5 kg of wheat) to bake a jin of soy sauce wine, only half of the wine can be produced from the field sorghum roasted wine.

Zunyi liquor has high starch content and moderate starch content. The "9-8-7 process" of Maotai flavor liquor is made in heaven and adapted to local conditions. " Deng Xiaohua said that the reason why Maotai liquor uses red tassel and red sorghum is that its physical and chemical indexes are the best.

Compared with the mixed use of local and foreign sorghum, the emergence of channeling wine in recent years has nothing to do with red sorghum.

"We should crack down on wine channeling. Edible alcohol can not be transported to Renhuai City on a large scale. " LV Yuhua told reporters of the 21st century economic report. In June this year, Renhuai Liquor Industry Association issued a notice to vigorously rectify the "channeling liquor" behavior in Renhuai liquor industry. On June 15, the relevant departments of Renhuai City printed and distributed the "Renhuai City to rectify the production of wine chaos work paper.". That night, 10 traffic checkpoints in the city started to carry out alcohol inspection and control.

The so-called channeling liquor is a liquid liquor with slight sauce flavor, which is made from edible alcohol and waste distiller's grains of authentic Daqu Maotai flavor liquor. In a word, it is the fake Renhuai sauce wine.

Obviously, the effect of cracking down on fake goods is very obvious. Local farmers told 21st century economic reporter that the channeling wine in Renhuai is now gone. In the past, there was no package for channeling wine, but it was pulled away immediately after channeling. "Good wine means no pain in the head and no dry mouth. After drinking alcohol, some people have a terrible headache the next day. " He said.

"In order to alleviate the shortage of Red Sorghum supply, it is planned that by 2022, the planting area of Red Sorghum in Zunyi will reach 2 million mu, and the total output will reach 500000 tons, meeting the requirements of Enterprises above the designated size. Gap, organic and green certification rate reached 100%. " Zunyi agriculture and rural Bureau said.

The relevant government of Zunyi City will crack down on counterfeiting of foreign hybrid sorghum as Zunyi Red Sorghum and severely punish it. At present, Zunyi Hongliang national geographical indication protection product declaration and Zunyi Hongliang seed trademark registration protection are in progress. "From the perspective of variety resources protection, the declaration should be completed in the past three years." Zunyi agriculture and rural Bureau said.

However, there are no laws and regulations on the use of raw materials and quality grade of Renhuai Maotai flavor liquor. (a pseudonym of Wu military department in the text)