Thread: Farming in the North: Cassava Root

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

Seems he planted nine months ago.

Do believe he spent a lot on fertiliser, though his estimates of what he will make seem a bit absurd, says he'll make 85,000 baht from 4 rai.

It's a possible, 20,000 per rai, but with everything going in your favor.
Good return here, 5, 6 months, all done right, 12,000 a rai, but lots of fertilizer, weeding and good soil and just the right amounts of rain.

PS that's chopped, not selling tubas.

Originally Posted by ltnt

Chiang Rai publicist?

It's actually a much sort after position.

One simply stands outside 7/11 and mugs gap year students. Cheques to be made out to a Mr.s.slap. Tristan and his ilk won't mind too much - daddy is invariably well cashed up.

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

how come he harvested them small,

I actually was told the reason. The BIL says they would grow larger if he had disc'd the 12 Rai first and then planted. Maintains that the Cassava grows bigger in softer soil apparently. In his terms he didn't harvest early, simply the result of planting in untilled soil.

J.C. also states need for fertilizers, water, chemicals, different types, etc. I'm sure he did not do a proper fertilization nor chemical additives. the only thing he and his wife do is dig a hole and stick a root in. Weed when necessary and hope for rain.

Its a more or less filler crop, between beans, corn and rice. They also have several garden plots for personal use. My BIL has lots of land when combined with that of his wife's, so he does not need to rely on one spot crop.

It's a balancing job, of outgoings and in-comings, plowing costs money, but lets the water sink in easier and deeper.
Fertilizer is a big cost, labor, even if yours is a cost as your time could be better spent.
Chopping for a better price again has a cost.
When you add up all the costs it can really mean plant and forget is best.

Big farming works on long term returns, has money to invest in equipment, small guys, the difference between profit and loss could be the cost of a weed wacker/scrub cutter.

James 20,000 per rai? thats 8.6 tonnes.

^That's what you got? BIL had 12 Rai, got 80,000, I'd like to see that Cassava at 20,000/Rai, my BIL would do somersaults over that one.

I don't do Cassava, that's what James says is possible.

^O.K., I'd like to see that one day.

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

James 20,000 per rai? thats 8.6 tonnes.

No about 3.5 tons chopped dry weight depending on the price on the day, if you have a hammer mill, not that expensive add a few more Baht per kilo.

As said possible, not probable, cassava is not my game, but new Malaysian clones were given out by the Government, allegedly super growers.

Your doing well around here getting over 10,000 Bt a rai, that's 5600 Baht a M/T chopped.

Money to be made, but a hell of a lot of work, better being a middle man.
Plus you can never believe what a Thai tells you, I have a chopping machine and our
factory license covers cassava for some reason.

Wife's uncle buys a chopping machine, has a 5 ton truck, starts buying and chopping a few weeks ago. Can see him in action from the back of our house.
I'm interested, after a week or so go down for a chat, with wife.
According to him, he loses about 500 Baht a truck load, but he's still buying and chopping.

James you've lost me with the chopping machine, i was only aware of the product going to get sold.

The present price according to the OP is 2.3 baht per kilo if i remember correctly.

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

just wondering as today guy near us took one of his roots to shop to weigh and it came in at 7kgs saw the rest of his harvest and some pretty big roots amongst them.

Good chance he had drip irrigation installed.

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

Don't think so market prices have gone down back in 2008 it was 2.80 per kilo.

Yesterdays price near where I live 2.15 per kilo less etc etc.

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

James you've lost me with the chopping machine, i was only aware of the product going to get sold

You can sell it chopped and dried and get a better price than straight from the ground. With the time and effort taken up most sell straight from the field.

No i went and had a look at his land yesterday, as the OP was of interest, wouldn't say his soil was very good and no drip irrigation, I was surprised at the size of his roots.

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

No i went and had a look at his land yesterday, as the OP was of interest, wouldn't say his soil was very good and no drip irrigation, I was surprised at the size of his roots.

I can't explain it then as this time of the year most tubers are small because of little/no rain for 4 months.

As i said before he planted 9 months ago it seems, i was expecting to see trees of around three metres but no where near it, amazed me to see roots from such a small tree.

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

James you've lost me with the chopping machine, i was only aware of the product going to get sold.

The present price according to the OP is 2.3 baht per kilo if i remember correctly.

Here many chop by hand to make chips, they leave it at the side of the road to dry, if the tuba price is say 2.3, the chip price is near on 6 Baht a kilo.

Chopping machines start small and cost about 5,000 Bt [no motor] you can hook them up to a 2 wheeled tractor, from that they get as big as you like.

Just value adding, or cutting out one middle man, hammer mills cost more and local buyers here don't buy power, nearest big cassava factory is 60 km away, but price for powder is around 10 Baht a kilo, so you need a truck, not a pickup.

No one wants to spend up front for machines that lay idle most of the year.

Interesting Thanks.

Season started out at 1.9/kilo...has gone up 2.3 around here. As has been said chopped is higher priced. I'll take some pic.'s of the commercial site if I go that way today.

Originally Posted by ltnt

Season started out at 1.9/kilo...has gone up 2.3 around here. As has been said chopped is higher priced. I'll take some pic.'s of the commercial site if I go that way today.

The chopped dried goes for a higher price as a lot of the water content has been lost. Hence you also lose a lot of weight.

Depending upon the water content, it might not actually be more profitable to sell the dried, it might just look that way. Still, pretty easy to calculate I would have though. Weigh the crop (calculate a theoretical value) chop dry sell, compare actual to theoretical.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Good chance he had drip irrigation installed.

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

No i went and had a look at his land yesterday, as the OP was of interest, wouldn't say his soil was very good and no drip irrigation, I was surprised at the size of his roots.

Of course there was 'no drip irrigation' pipes. Before you can harvest cassava it all has to be lifted and taken away.

Don't think many would bother, to expensive and time consuming.

hosepipe or watering can, the only drip he'd know is the drips of sweat running down his nose.

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

Don't think many would bother, to expensive and time consuming.

You'd be surprised. It wasn't until 3 months ago when I took up cycling that I got out more into the off road areas that I found that drip irrigation is quite extensive. Obviously there's no need for it during the rain season.

Irrigation like machinery is an up front cost, bigger player stuff, long term investment.
Subsistence farmers only want money to get by to the next season, one of the problems here. Why borrow money to improve your crops, yields over time when you can buy a big silver pickup truck.

Banks don't help, they will finance cars at the drop of a hat, but go ask them for a loan for farm improvements, not so forth coming with the cash.