classification: troubles

problem description:

essay on market changes in Yiwu.

Good ones can be scored!

Analysis:

In the past 5 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the evolution of the commercial economy of Houle Village can be roughly divided into the following stages:

(1) Following the traditional chicken feathers for sugar to make a living (from the early 195s to the late 195s)

Historically, the eastern area of Yiwu where Houle Village is located has always been mainly producing rice, planting cash crops such as sugarcane and huanghuali, and some of them are pressed by sugarcane. Due to the large population and small land in this area, the cultivated land is poor in soil and shallow in soil layer. In order to enhance the fertility of the land and increase the grain yield, the farmers invented the fertilization method of "plugging the roots of seedlings" according to their experience in long-term farming practice. ③ This fertilization method can effectively increase grain yield, but it needs a lot of animal hair such as chicken feathers. From this, a unique traditional business in local rural areas-chicken feathers for sugar.

The exchange of chicken feathers for sugar first appeared in the area of 23 Li in Yiwu where Houle Village is located. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty, farmers here used the slack season of winter and spring around the Spring Festival to carry sugar on their shoulders, rattle by hand, and travel from village to village, and went out to neighboring counties and cities to engage in "knocking sugar for chicken feathers" for a living. They use the Yiwu brown sugar squeezed from their own sugarcane to process it into knock sugar, ginger sugar, etc., and exchange it for animal hair such as chicken feathers, which is used as the main fertilizer for planting rice. This business has been passed down from generation to generation in Houle and its surrounding villages and has become a traditional sideline economy in the area where Houle is located.

In a sense, the exchange of chicken feathers for sugar is a mobile and barter transaction, which contains the commodity nature. However, this is a very special commercial behavior, and its main purpose is not to pursue direct commercial profits. Its original motivation and purpose are only to accumulate more fertilizers and improve crop yield. Therefore, in this sense, chicken feathers for sugar is also an integral part of the process of increasing the output value per unit area of farmland. At the beginning, the male villagers in Houle engaged in exchanging chicken feathers for sugar, which was only a supplement to the main business of the village-agriculture. They used slack time, surplus labor force and agricultural by-products, because:

First, from the perspective of production and operation time, it was mainly the slack season after farming, which was surplus to farming. In the early days of the People's Republic of China, chicken feathers were generally exchanged for sugar during the slack season of the year, especially during the slack season around the Spring Festival.

second, from the perspective of work arrangement, we must give priority to farm work and obey agricultural production first, which is secondary. Rural areas and farmers must give priority to agriculture and give priority to others, which was an unshakable principle generally recognized by farmers at the beginning. Therefore, the villagers' work arrangements are based on the principle of agricultural priority rather than economic benefits, and off-farm activities such as chicken feathers for sugar can only take a secondary and subordinate position.

third, from the perspective of industry development, it serves and depends on agriculture to a considerable extent, and it is dependent on agriculture. The goods for changing chicken feathers-knocking sugar is a reprocessed product of farmers' own brown sugar, and the chicken feathers in return are mainly used as fertilizer for crops, which is closely related to agricultural production. Therefore, at that time, chicken feathers for sugar mainly served agricultural production, and its development space depended on raw materials, commodities and markets provided by agricultural development.

It can be seen that chicken feathers for sugar was a non-dominant economy in Houle Village in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China. It served and obeyed agriculture, centered on agriculture and respected agriculture first, which was a sideline for the villagers to make a living.

(2) Difficult development and creative transformation of chicken feathers for sugar industry (from the late 195s to the middle and late 197s)

In the late 195s and early 196s, under the guidance of the erroneous idea of radical advancement, China launched a series of political movements, such as the Great Leap Forward, people's communalization, and * * * production, in an attempt to speed up the socialist construction in rural areas, which resulted in profound disasters for rural areas and farmers. Twenty-three Li, where Houle Village is located, was established in 1958 as a people's commune system with the integration of administration and society and the integration of agriculture, industry, commerce, learning and soldiers. According to the requirements of "one university and two universities", all the means of production and grain were owned by the public, and unified management and supply were implemented. Team office * * * canteen, all members unified to the male * * * canteen for dinner; Labor remuneration depends on the strength of labor, and the wage system is implemented. But it soon got into trouble. According to the "Houle Village Records", "it was only sent for two months, and then there was no more, and even rice was not eaten. Since the most difficult period after liberation, farmers' lives have been extremely poor. "

"The commune movement, as an unprecedented extensive and profound social change, has brought great and far-reaching influence to all aspects of rural social, economic and political life, and even to the production and lifestyle followed by individual farmers from generation to generation." [1] There is no doubt that it has also had a huge impact on the traditional business activities of Houle Village, and the rural sideline of chicken feathers for sugar was once depressed. As mentioned above, Houle Village has a large population and a small population, and has always relied on off-farm operations to survive. The depression of traditional chicken feathers for sugar industry has aggravated the suffering of villagers to a considerable extent. At that time, the life of Houle people was extremely bitter, and some villagers were even forced to flee to other places.

after the mid-196s, rural society was once shrouded in the "Left" policy, which seriously affected agricultural production and rural economy. Although the male and female laborers in the village have basically been mobilized and invested in less than 1 mu of land per capita for many years, it is still not enough to feed a village. Only in this way, although under the collective labor system of the people's commune at that time, villagers were strictly restricted from going out to exchange chicken feathers for sugar; Despite the interference of the "left" route, villagers need to risk "speculation" and be punished when they go out to exchange chicken feathers for sugar; Despite the traffic conditions at that time and the traditional business model of traveling from village to village and mobile trading, villagers had to go out to exchange chicken feathers for sugar, which was unimaginable to outsiders. However, in order to survive and make money, hungry, poor and scared post-musicians still try their best to overcome difficulties, break through resistance, use or change policies, and secretly go out to neighboring counties and provinces to continue to engage in chicken feathers for sugar industry. Moreover, under the background that repeated political movements caused a great shortage of daily necessities in rural areas, and chicken feathers and so on formed new demands in the development of rural industries, the chicken feathers for sugar industry in Houle and its surrounding areas gradually developed and reached its peak in the 197s, and at the same time, the creative transformation of the business model of the industry was realized. Specifically,

First, the trading content of chicken feathers for sugar was more abundant. The traditional exchange of chicken feathers for sugar is mainly a simple exchange of animal hair such as chicken feathers, which is a relatively simple barter transaction. By the 197s, although people still used the traditional name-chicken feathers for sugar, the transaction was no longer limited to the transaction of sugar and chicken feathers. In addition to traditional sugar knocking, chicken feather sugar changers added sewing needles, threads, small toys, buttons, hair clips and other small daily necessities that were extremely short of rural residents at the beginning, and people used to call them small department stores. In addition to animal hair such as chicken feathers, they also exchanged for all the small production and living waste items that can bring them profits, such as scrap iron, toothpaste shell, chicken's gizzard-membrane, broken plastic and so on.

second, the way of exchanging chicken feathers for sugar has changed. In this period, the old tradition of mobile transaction and door-to-door service was still followed, but the transaction mode has undergone a revolutionary transformation. In the past, exchanging chicken feathers for sugar was a simple barter transaction, such as exchanging as much chicken feathers for as much sugar as possible. By the 197s, people could habitually exchange chicken feathers or waste products for sugar or daily necessities from chicken feathers, or buy small department stores with cash. Moreover, in the process of trading, the amount of goods exchanged began to be calculated with money as the medium.

Third, the purpose of exchanging chicken feathers for sugar has changed. Seeking survival and serving agriculture is the main purpose of exchanging chicken feathers for sugar in the past. In the 197s, chicken feather sugar exchange was no longer just for livelihood, and the pursuit of market profit obviously became the main business purpose of chicken feather sugar exchange merchants in this period. Chicken feathers for sugar no longer mainly serve agriculture, but give priority to industrial production that can bring more profits to itself. After the villagers exchanged chicken feathers, they first selected excellent "three hairs" and sold them to the commune feather factory as industrial raw materials for processing products such as chicken feather dusters and brooms, and then handed over the remaining chicken feathers to the production team as fertilizer for crops in exchange for labor points. The exchanged waste products are also sold to waste recycling stations and other departments, and then resold to enterprises as raw materials for industrial production.

Fourthly, the trading scope of chicken feathers for sugar has been further expanded. In the past, due to the constraints of transportation, villagers mainly relied on shoulders and walking to exchange chicken feathers for sugar. Therefore, the geographical radius of villagers' going out to trade is small, mainly limited to neighboring counties and cities such as Zhuji near Yiwu. By the 197s, some villagers began to transport goods such as chicken feathers by train or renting tractors, which further expanded the area where chicken feathers were exchanged for sugar. In order to get more profits, the villagers are no longer limited to going to the surrounding counties and cities to exchange chicken feathers for sugar. They begin to cross the provincial boundaries and travel all over Jiangxi, Anhui and other neighboring provinces and cities.

In short, under the circumstance that the state has repeatedly banned farmers from doing business and prohibiting the flow of labor force, in order to make a living, the post-musicians broke through the bottom line of national policies and began to act in their own way. At that time, the poverty of villagers brought by collectivized agricultural production formed the demand and necessity for post-musicians to engage in traditional commercial activities. The strict policy of unified purchase and marketing by the state has caused a serious shortage of commodities, and provided a broad market for post-musicians to engage in the "speculation" of exchanging chicken feathers for sugar. It is all these factors that brought about the development and transformation of the traditional village commercial economy in the 196s and 197s, which promoted the extraordinary development of chicken feather-for-sugar industry in the "no-permit" policy environment, reached the peak of the industry, and laid the foundation for the future village commercial and village economic and social development of the post-musicians.

it should be pointed out that although the village commercial economy such as chicken feathers for sugar has made great progress, the collective agricultural economy played a leading role in the village economy in the political environment at that time, especially in the context of the national macro-policy of "taking grain as the key link". Individual business activities are still relegated to the sideline position and must be subordinated to agricultural production first. However, if we exclude political factors and simply analyze the economic indicators such as economic output value and farmers' income, then the economic structure of Houle village has gradually evolved from agriculture to individual business during this period. Therefore, the leading industry of the village is separated from the main industry, and a very special structural model has been formed in the process of the change of the economic system of Houle village.

(3) the formation and rise of small commodity management industry (from the middle and late 197s to the end of 198s)

In the middle and late 197s, a new industry-small department store management was gradually differentiated and derived from the chicken feather sugar exchange industry in Houle Village and surrounding villages. According to the villagers' memories, since the mid-197s, due to the shortage of daily necessities in the rural market at that time, savvy chicken feather sugar changers began to exchange daily groceries for chicken feathers and waste products in order to improve their operating income and seize this business opportunity in time, thus realizing double profits in the exchange, so they urgently needed the supply of small daily necessities. However, under the original policy environment, it is impossible for them to obtain the needed small department stores from collective or state-owned units through normal channels. As a result, some farmers in Houle and neighboring villages began to brainstorm ways to organize the supply of small daily necessities for chicken feather sugar exchange merchants, specializing in small department stores. Therefore, it has gradually evolved into a new village commercial economy-small commodity management industry.

As the operation of small department stores is profitable, other villagers, led by their relatives and friends, have joined the operation of small department stores one after another, and gradually formed an underground wholesale market of small department stores in Ersanli Town. With its growing influence, foreign merchants have also come to 23 Li to buy small department stores in batches. After the reform and opening up, under the influence of many factors, the small commodity market began to extend to Huqingmen in the county, and after many times of relocation and expansion, it gradually developed into a famous "China's first city"-Yiwu small commodity market. Therefore, in terms of historical development, the small department store operators in Houle and other villages were the first batch of small commodity operators in the 23 rd century, and they can also be said to be pioneers in Yiwu's small commodity management industry. It is in this context that people regard the town of 23 Li, where Houle Village is located, as the birthplace of Yiwu small commodity market and small commodity management industry.

driven by the reform and opening-up policy, Yiwu small commodity market and local small commodity markets have developed rapidly, which has become an important support for the small commodity management industry and effectively promoted the rise of the small commodity management industry in Yiwu. The post-musicians who have a long business tradition and rich business experience are more like a duck to water. They have devoted themselves to business, which quickly formed the situation of post-musicians doing business in the 198s. According to incomplete statistics, in the 198s, there were nearly 2 post-musicians who set up stalls in Yiwu commodity market and local commodity markets and directly operated small department stores. If their families are added, in Houle Village, with a total population of less than 8 at that time, business people already accounted for about half.

Compared with the traditional exchange of chicken feathers for sugar, the rapid rise of small commodity business in 198s has the following characteristics:

First, from the transaction mode, small commodity business is no longer a barter transaction, but a modern commercial trading activity with money as the medium; It is no longer a retail sale, but a wholesale transaction, or a wholesale-oriented retail business. The scale of operation has been greatly expanded.

second, from the perspective of management system, small commodity management is no longer a mobile transaction without a fixed place, but has become a sit-down operation, which is what villagers usually call "setting up stalls". Businessmen generally buy or rent small commodity stalls in Yiwu or foreign commodity markets to engage in small commodity trading. Because of this, its business activities have been brought into the unified management of the market management department and entered the modern market management system, which must follow the rules of modern market operation. At the same time, although the business subject of the small commodity business at this stage belongs to the category of individual business, it is different from the exchange of chicken feathers for sugar. It is no longer a personal behavior of male villagers. Generally, it is a partner and cooperative operation of husband and wife or father (mother) and son (daughter), which can be dominated by men or women. It is a special family management system. In addition, because most of the small commodities are wholesale, the operating system of consignment and distribution has begun to appear in the process of operation.

Third, from the perspective of business content, although the business of small commodities is still dominated by daily necessities, it is no longer limited to small commodities that can be accommodated in the box of chicken feathers for sugar. It has further expanded to socks, bedding, lace, headscarves, clothing and other daily commodities.

fourthly, from the service object, at this time, the small commodity management is no longer aimed at rural residents, but at urban and rural residents all over the country. They should provide commodity management services for urban and rural residents at all levels to meet their different needs. However, as far as a business unit (booth) is concerned, they often specialize in one or several small commodities for certain classes and groups, so they are different from ordinary department stores.

Fifthly, from the perspective of business areas, the business areas of small commodities are no longer limited to neighboring counties, cities and provinces, but have further expanded to all parts of the country and even abroad. The place of doing business is no longer dominated by rural areas, but the commodity market in the city is the place of doing business, from rural areas to cities.

In a word, the small commodity management industry at this stage is a great turning point in the commercial development history of Houle Village, which has realized the fundamental transformation of the business model.