Thread: Rubber trees 101

Originally Posted by MeMock

Most economies around the world are back to all time highs.

Originally Posted by MeMock

Originally Posted by jamescollister

World economy has been bumping along the ground for 6 years,

Most economies around the world are back to all time highs. The Aussie and US markets for starters. The world economy is actually doing really well but people still remember the crash 6 years ago.

That's what they tell everyone, boom times mean jobs, rising living standards, people with money in their pockets to spend.
Don't see that, I need people buying new cars, not stocks and shares, no confidence out there, little job security, high unemployment and under employment.
Asia and India are growing, the west seems static, many countries barely keeping out of recession. Jim

Don't know Andrew, haven't been back for over 2 years, but was thinking of taking the kids back next year for a month or 2.
Expense place even with free [family] accommodation, had a look for work to help pay. Geelong, best I could find was delivering pamphlets to letter boxes, not well paid.
Take out mining, doesn't seem a lot left, especially Geelong.
Jim

Western Australia are currently spending big bucks trying to recruit prison guards as there is currently a shortage. You would be guaranteed a job given you previous work history.

Originally Posted by MeMock

Western Australia are currently spending big bucks trying to recruit prison guards as there is currently a shortage. You would be guaranteed a job given you previous work history.

Not going back to live, just a working holiday, get the kids English up a bit and see family.
Reason why WA can't get screws, fit healthy guys go to the mines, where the money is.
I just wanted a mind numbing job or a month or so, now you need a ticket to clean toilets or stack boxes.
Jim

https://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asi...rop-price.html (Rubber Farmer Self-Immolates As Crop Price Plunges)

Originally Posted by prawnograph

Rubber Farmer Self-Immolates As Crop Price Plunges
29 August 2014

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT — A rubber farmer in Nakhon Si Thammarat province committed suicide yesterday amid the plunging price of raw rubber, a staple crop for many farmers is southern Thailand.

Pithakchai Kongthongkam, 31, doused his body with petrol and lit himself on fire at his home in Thoong Song district yesterday, police say.

Mr. Pithakchai's widow, Sujitra Srisawang, told police that her husband was distressed by the recent drop in the rubber prices, which threatened his livelihood as a rubber farmer.

"The price for rubber used to be at 70-80 baht per kilogram. Our family had an earning of 500-600 baht per day, enough to get by,” Ms. Sujitra said. “But in these days the rubber price dropped to only 40 baht per kilogram, which means one third of our earnings disappeared.”

Thailand is the world’s largest producer and exporter, but falling global demand has caused rubber prices to drop 24 percent this year.

Ms. Sujitra added that her husband was forced to borrow money from neighbours and employers to take care of the family. "It's likely that my husband was so stressed he decided to kill himself," Ms. Sujitra said.

However, officers at Kapang Police Station said Mr. Pithakchai was recently arrested by police and charged with drug abuse, which may have played a role in his suicide.

While the motive behind Mr. Pithakchai's suicide remains unclear, the drop in rubber prices has caused a genuine crisis for rubber farmers in southern Thailand, whose livelihoods depend on the crop.

I think the big problem with a lot of Thai's is that there is no "tomorrow" they just spend their money as it comes in the good times with out it entering their heads that they should put some to one side for a "rainy day" ,when as sure as night follows day the so called good times do not last forever , this in farming has always been the nature of the beast due to weather and of course world wide prices which cannot be controlled by just one Country (Thailand) and of course in many cases when a farang marries a Thai lady her family expect him to bankroll them ,seen it here a few times were the farangs house is like the local YMCA for his wifes family and the farang and his wifes privacy are intruded on day and night ,I have been informed a number of times that this is the "Thai way" fortunately Jan realizes that its not "my way" ,I view life here like a game of cards with me holding all the aces ,so in this I simply refuse to go into any business venture ,be it farming or whatever ,especially when the so called "business" proposition is put forward by some one who ain't got a pot to piss in

piwanoi, true, no tomorrows out my way, have money spend, show big face, but most have lived with nothing for most of their lives.
Have some rice and the jungle provides the rest, fish, bugs, rats and feral chickens, in my back yard again, dog here and there.
My house is more like a motel, extended family, but it looks like a motel, strange design, whole village is one big family compound, good for my kids.
Not a life for most, but I get by, had moments where I lost it, then realize, it's just the way. Except it,or move on. Jim

Originally Posted by jamescollister

piwanoi, true, no tomorrows out my way, have money spend, show big face, but most have lived with nothing for most of their lives.
Have some rice and the jungle provides the rest, fish, bugs, rats and feral chickens, in my back yard again, dog here and there.
My house is more like a motel, extended family, but it looks like a motel, strange design, whole village is one big family compound, good for my kids.
Not a life for most, but I get by, had moments where I lost it, then realize, it's just the way. Except it,or move on. Jim

I'm most certainly sure that most [a very few might] here wouldn't understand what your life, lifestyle, and connections are about, Jim...

All the best.

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Originally Posted by jamescollister

piwanoi, true, no tomorrows out my way, have money spend, show big face, but most have lived with nothing for most of their lives.
Have some rice and the jungle provides the rest, fish, bugs, rats and feral chickens, in my back yard again, dog here and there.
My house is more like a motel, extended family, but it looks like a motel, strange design, whole village is one big family compound, good for my kids.
Not a life for most, but I get by, had moments where I lost it, then realize, it's just the way. Except it,or move on. Jim

I'm most certainly sure that most [a very few might] here wouldn't understand what your life, lifestyle, and connections are about, Jim...

All the best.

It's life, for me better than walking a beat or tier in a prison, get to be a 24/7 dad, worth more than status. Jim

I drove some 1.5 year ago along the coast from Songhla to Nakhon Si Thammarat. And the overall impression from the villages there was quite depressive, seeing many collapsed shrimp farms and poor houses.

The shrimp boom was some 25 years ago when many had jumped on the band wagon. Then later the US market had stopped suddenly the import from Thailand - perhaps because a shrimp desease? So, it was a disaster for that area, the usual fishing hasn't helped much.

When, however, from NST you drive towards South over the country in direction to Phuket there is a vast land with rubberwood and oil palm plantations. And the villages and their houses look really wealthy. The difference to the north coast is in a huge contrast.

However 2 years ago the rubber price had been quite high, and the price of the rubberwood as well. Since that, because of a slow economy also the Chinese have slowed down buying the rubberwood, so it seems that the wealth there will slow down too.

The rubberwood plantation had started some 10 years ago also in the North, with a support from Thai government. Relatives of my wife made use of it and planted a piece of not very suitable hilly land. The growth, however, cannot be compared with the South where the rain precipitation is about 3 times more.

After 8 years it looks not so huge:



The neighbours were 2 years more advanced, so they started with the rubber. When I saw their first harvest I advised them to better sell it for an implant to Thai BH's. It could be quite a lucrative business in Thailand.

The grass weeds in that picture are taking all the nutrients. Get rid of the grass and you will soon notice a big difference.

Sorry to piss you off, but those are awful trees for 8 year olds. they look like 4 year olds. Poor girth, and even more importantly, poor canopy. Purely down to lack of care, and lack of the correct fertilisers and amounts. Also that output of cup (my missus calls that style "fried eggs") is ok on the very first tapping session spread over a week or two on newly opened trees, but thereafter ie 3 weeks on, into tapping you should be getting a cup full per fortnight minimum. Sorry.

Getting rid of grass leads to soil erosion and good stuff in the soil like worms etc. Grass just needs cutting regularly, also adding nutrients as the cut grass rots into the ground.

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

Sorry to piss you off, but those are awful trees for 8 year olds. they look like 4 year olds. Poor girth, and even more importantly, poor canopy. Purely down to lack of care, and lack of the correct fertilisers and amounts. Also that output of cup (my missus calls that style "fried eggs") is ok on the very first tapping session spread over a week or two on newly opened trees, but thereafter ie 3 weeks on, into tapping you should be getting a cup full per fortnight minimum. Sorry.

Think I'd take the governments cut down money if they were my trees.
Thai way, stick them in the ground, fertilize with hope. Jim

Originally Posted by Klondyke

The rubberwood plantation had started some 10 years ago also in the North, with a support from Thai government. Relatives of my wife made use of it and planted a piece of not very suitable hilly land. The growth, however, cannot be compared with the South where the rain precipitation is about 3 times more.

After 8 years it looks not so huge:



The neighbours were 2 years more advanced, so they started with the rubber. When I saw their first harvest I advised them to better sell it for an implant to Thai BH's. It could be quite a lucrative business in Thailand.

I THOUGHT TOO MUCH RAIN IS ALSO NO GOOD. KAMPHAENG PHET IS SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD AREA...ACCORDING TO MY WIFES UNCLE

HermantheGerman, rain thing is a bit misleading, too much and you can't tap, too dry no good either.
Water table is the big factor, I'm in Issan, get more rain than most out here, mountains and jungle, cool air causes rain, but the run off keeps a high water table, 3 to 5 meters year round.
Rubber tap root goes deep, that's why good rubber land follows the mountains and the Mekong, really big difference, in rain fall and water table over short distances.
Thais plant without thought and many places in Issan are just too dry. Jim

Okay so a few of us know a little bit about agriculture and specifically rubber..mostly from hard won experience methinks..at the end of the day if you have the land and a reasonable accommodation thereon plus a good woman there is not much else you need..maybe 10-15+k/pm to provide food (enough land to grow enough staple veggies in most cases) ,pay the electric bill and a few gallons of diesel. Unfortunately it is often the extended family "obligations" that tend to suck us dry?

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

Getting rid of grass leads to soil erosion and good stuff in the soil like worms etc. Grass just needs cutting regularly, also adding nutrients as the cut grass rots into the ground.

Cassarva is usually grown between non producing trees which brings in an income till the trees start to produce.
Photo in post 638 shows bad land management in my opinion. I'm no farmer, just a tied observer.

Originally Posted by MeMock

The grass weeds in that picture are taking all the nutrients. Get rid of the grass and you will soon notice a big difference.

I'm really surprised that the growers aren't aware of this, or at least haven't had this situation brought to their attention.


As rubber farmers know this already, it has this look of not being attended to/worked.....

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Originally Posted by MeMock

The grass weeds in that picture are taking all the nutrients. Get rid of the grass and you will soon notice a big difference.

I'm really surprised that the growers aren't aware of this, or at least haven't had this situation brought to their attention.


As rubber farmers know this already, it has this look of not being attended to/worked.....

Uncut grass is a fire hazard, dry season comes, rice farmer burns off, one ember, whole plantations burn.
Watched people crying, as they look on at their future turn to ash, Buddha didn't take care.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Originally Posted by jamescollister

I don't and have a house, 2 cars.

Unfortunately your house has probably not increased in value by X% this year, your cars aren't this years model with this years number plate, you don't served ready made meals from a trendy deli and you don't travel all over the world for your holidays to experience the airports/security shake downs and postponed flights to take snaps of your self, to tweet your BFF's

Loser!!!!!

2 out of 3 ain't bad, go to Lao a lot, going there Wednesday, not overseas, but a big river, does that count. Jim

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Originally Posted by MeMock

The grass weeds in that picture are taking all the nutrients. Get rid of the grass and you will soon notice a big difference.

I'm really surprised that the growers aren't aware of this, or at least haven't had this situation brought to their attention.


As rubber farmers know this already, it has this look of not being attended to/worked.....

Uncut grass is a fire hazard, dry season comes, rice farmer burns off, one ember, whole plantations burn.
Watched people crying, as they look on at their future turn to ash, Buddha didn't take care.

Thanks you guys for the critic. The pictures were taken some 2 years ago. And of course they are cutting the grass, perhaps not so frequently. The owners are not residing in that place but 100 km away, have another full time job, thinking to move their when retiring soon. So the hired people do not care much overly. There has not been any real experience with rubberwood growing in that north province.

There are small plots at that area, and it is very hilly, the terrain not so easy. When rain suddenly had started I could not get with my pickup up the hill - not having a 4WD - had to call for a help. Quite remote from a nearest village.