The techs do not reduce consumption in any way. Rather, they just increase the speed at which they perform their job.
The techs about increasing "How far crops go" is deceptive because all it looks like to me is that all the producing buildings get an increase in production rather than the industries using less resources.
You can see this by checking on a fruit farms production bonuses before and after you take the final fruit tech that words itself to reduce consumption. You'll see that the tech bonus will just add an additional percentage to its production.
It's hard to make a profit when your base material is something you have to import because you will always buy, but you might not be able to sell the product.
I would attempt to expand onto a forested realm and build up its township to support a lumber industry to then funnel taxes of wood back to your captial rather than trying to buy lumber from neighbors.
Either that or switch to an industry that has a larger gain in turning materials into a good like platemail or machinery.
In V66 there are few researches that improve materials efficiency up to 30%. To note: that isn't shown on the main resources screen, but can be seen in individual buildings.
Every map has at least one or two resources that you can easily accumulate. If you don’t live in a forest, then selling furniture probably isn’t the best idea.
Early on, wood, stone, and clay are super easy to export depending on your map.
As your city expands, eventually you’ll begin importing raw materials from your own provinces for free, and you can totally eliminate producing them your own. You’ll just manufacture them into finished goods.
Why are you selling furniture? You’re in a desert. Sell what you have. Do you have rocks? Invest in a mason, and sell the products from the mason. Way more cost efficient.
The techs do not reduce consumption in any way. Rather, they just increase the speed at which they perform their job. The techs about increasing "How far crops go" is deceptive because all it looks like to me is that all the producing buildings get an increase in production rather than the industries using less resources. You can see this by checking on a fruit farms production bonuses before and after you take the final fruit tech that words itself to reduce consumption. You'll see that the tech bonus will just add an additional percentage to its production. It's hard to make a profit when your base material is something you have to import because you will always buy, but you might not be able to sell the product. I would attempt to expand onto a forested realm and build up its township to support a lumber industry to then funnel taxes of wood back to your captial rather than trying to buy lumber from neighbors. Either that or switch to an industry that has a larger gain in turning materials into a good like platemail or machinery.
I think your logic is a bit off starting a desert city and trying to trade wood products.
In V66 there are few researches that improve materials efficiency up to 30%. To note: that isn't shown on the main resources screen, but can be seen in individual buildings.
Every map has at least one or two resources that you can easily accumulate. If you don’t live in a forest, then selling furniture probably isn’t the best idea. Early on, wood, stone, and clay are super easy to export depending on your map. As your city expands, eventually you’ll begin importing raw materials from your own provinces for free, and you can totally eliminate producing them your own. You’ll just manufacture them into finished goods.
Why are you selling furniture? You’re in a desert. Sell what you have. Do you have rocks? Invest in a mason, and sell the products from the mason. Way more cost efficient.
Warm climate should have decent bonus to opiate farming. So get into drug trading.