Greetings from a newbie moving to Thailand, and a question

[RickThai]

One problem that can be a nuisance is when the surrounding farms are burning off the sugar cane fields.

Is that what they burn? I always thought it was rice and corn stubble

I guess it depends on what crops the farmers grow where you live.

[DrAndy]

yes, Rick, an excellent answer

but the smoke pollution spreads all over Northern Thailand, Laos and Myanmar

so it is hardly a local phenonema

so where do they grow sugar cane and then burn it?

[rickschoppers]

^
Thais burn off the old leaves on sugarcane before they cut and harvest it. We have 5 rai next to the house we are in and they lit it up just before dark. My wife was freaking out since the sugarcane was only about 3 meters from the house.

It does not seem that safe to me, but everyone who grows sugarcane around here does the same thing. However, I have never seen the locals burn rice.

[rickschoppers]

It also appears the Thais burn fields to prepare them for the next crops as well.

Farm fires cause heavy pollution

• Published: 15 Mar 2013 at 14.56
• Online news: Local News

Much of northern Thailand as far south as Saraburi lay under a heavy blanket of haze and smoke Friday from hundreds of fires, mostly set on purpose by farmers in Thailand and Myanmar.
This shot of Chiang Mai taken by MCOT on Thursday shows the extent of haze across the North, caused by fires in Thailand and Myanmar.

The crisis areas were spotted in the far North, the lower North and upper Central provinces. Saraburi, where the air quality index (AQI) touched a dangerous 104 at noon Friday, had an air pollution index of 128 which, roughly translated, means "sensitive groups such as children, older people and asthmatics should stay indoors".
Any AQI over 100 is dangerous to health, according to the Pollution Control Department, which maintains a website with information from around the country.
The most dangerous place in Thailand Friday afternoon was Mae Hong Son, where the AQI in the "pristine province" was 219. The index says an AQI this high is "an emergency condition. The entire population is more likely to be affected."
Every red dot on this satellite mash-up by Nasa represents a wildfire. Smoke from the blazes has blanketed parts of the North.

At mid-afternoon Friday, "dangerous" readers were recorded at Chiang Mai City Hall (106), the Lampang Meteorological Station (159), and the Phrae station, which had a reading of 134.
Viewed from the steps to Doi Suthep, the city of Chiang Mai was barely visible through the haze Friday morning.
Dramatic satellite photos and charts from Nasa showed the cause and extent of the wildfires, which are set on purpose every year at this time, supposedly to prepare fields for a new crop when the rainy season begins, in April or May.
The Nasa Worldview website, which shows satellite photos of Earth in near real-time, was a dramatic mass of red dots in northern Thailand and, even more, in next door Myanmar. Each dot represented an individual fire, seen from space.
The ThaiForestFire site, a Google Map mashup showing hot spots in Thailand, was a virtual sea of yellow and red Friday.
Residents of the North described a "hell in the air" throughout the region.
"It is the worst I have seen in years," said a Lampang resident, who added the haze this week came suddenly on Thursday after a brief rain shower had cleared the air on Wednesday.
"I woke up with the taste of smoke in my throat," said a Chiang Mai resident.

[RickThai]

yes, Rick, an excellent answer

but the smoke pollution spreads all over Northern Thailand, Laos and Myanmar

so it is hardly a local phenonema

so where do they grow sugar cane and then burn it?

Dr A,

I've seen sugarcane fields all over central and southern Thailand. My personal experience of sugarcane smoke is near Kamphangphet. I've never spent much time in Northeast Thailand so perhaps it is too dry there for sugarcane. I also seem to remember seeing sugarcane fields near Chiang Mai, but it's been about 3 years since I visited the city, so I could be mistaken.

If you are really interested, I'm sure the Thai government can provide information about Thai sugarcane production.

I hope this helps.

RickThai

[Necron99]

yes, Rick, an excellent answer

but the smoke pollution spreads all over Northern Thailand, Laos and Myanmar

so it is hardly a local phenonema

so where do they grow sugar cane and then burn it?

Everywhere where in nahkon sawan.
It's the standard way.
Was in Oz too until recently.
There are can harvester machines, and the mills pay more for green cane than black, but the fields need to be flat and obstruction free.

[rickschoppers]

As the demand for ethanol for motor fuel increases, so does the price of sugarcane. Many farmers in the NE who used to grow other crops are now switching due to this price increase. It is an easy crop to grow. Plant, wait 11 months, burn and harvest. No spraying, no weeding, no watering.

I have tried to convince my wife to grow some sugarcane on our other property, but she is still scared of the burning part. I am not sure of the profitability, but better than many other crops now grown in Thailand.

[sranchito]

When I was there last Feb, near Chumpae, there was more cane than I remember ever seeing. Was told it is bringing B11/kilo. Highest price ever, what they said.

Had asked about growing cane years ago, they all laughed. After the rice season, the relatives are now planting cane.

Sam told me that the problem with cane is that people turn out snakes such as pythons to eat the rats. Not a cane farmer myself but, I can see how rats could gnaw on the cane. Anyhow, the snakes were a concern. The village we live/visit in passed an ordinance on how close to the village you could plant cane due to snakes.

Bet when you burn, the snakes come hauling ass out of the cane?

Looked to me though that not everyone burnt first. Lots of machinery was used to harvest rather than cutting it all by hand.

[JordanP]

By the way . . . what does everybody do for deodorant? Last I recall visiting there, all western brands were expensive, like 150B and up for a medium size stick.

Boots do their own brand 250ML aerosol deodorant which sells for 100-130 Baht

Sounds like I'd be better off bringing over a year's supply from Costco!

[DrAndy]

However, I have never seen the locals burn rice.

it is normal to set fire to the stubble before ploughing in

I have taught my farmer that he doesn't need to burn, it is pollution

in addition, he also makes his own fertiliser rather than buying chemicals

he was on TV a year or so ago and got a nice notice board outside his farm from the government, saying he had won an award for good practice

he cannot call his rice organic though, as the water that floods his fields runs off neighbours' properties

[rickschoppers]

^
Thanks for that. It would be nice if you could teach them all not to burn. As I said I'm no farmer.