That evening, the cooperative members gathered in Xie Yundong's courtyard.
Jia Weidong read out the accounts. "The twelve tons of cotton we delivered today were graded first-class by the Cotton and Hemp Company. The purchase price was 2.9 yuan per kilogram, bringing in 34,800 yuan."
"This year's prices are pretty good!" Tao Daqiang grew excited as he listened to Jia Weidong's report.
"If we could get that price for all of it, we'd make a fortune this year. Judging by things now, we should harvest over four hundred tons. Never mind 2.9 yuan-even if the average ends up at 2.5, our total income could reach a million. My God!"
"This year's prices really are good!" Li Long was a little surprised too. He smiled and said, "It looks like pretty much everyone who followed the trend and planted cotton this year will make a tidy little profit."
Xu Haijun counted on his fingers. "An ordinary household gets between 150 and 200 kilograms of cotton per mu. At an average price of 2.5 yuan, that's around four hundred yuan or more per mu. After costs, they could still clear over a hundred yuan per mu. That's much more worthwhile than growing grain."
Xie Yundong looked somewhat grave. "Some people took a gamble and followed the trend last year. With cotton prices holding at this level this year, their gamble paid off. That means even more people will plant cotton next year, but there's no telling what next year's prices will be."
Li Long, however, was full of confidence about the future. "Given the current situation, whatever happens, next year's first-picking cotton won't fall below 2.5 yuan. Overall, cotton will still make money for the next few years."
Only for these next few years, though. Costs were not that high yet, and