Thread: Palm Trees

Hi. Can anyone tell me what income would be expected from about 70 Rai of palm planted in area well suited for Palm growth (good rainfall etc, ...Krabi for example ? )

If average of 22 trees per Rai, then about 1500 trees would be planted

I heard between 7 and 9 baht per Kilo but how many kilograms could be expected per Rai if fruit starts to show after 2.5 or 3 years.

Does yield increase at 4 or 5 years and continues to increase until trees are 10 years old ?

I think trees are giving maximum yield after 10 years ?

I know there are plenty of added costs to a plantation....planting, cleaning, fertilizing, etc. There is always a chance that some trees will not produce fruit or will be nibbled on by rats when young so cost to regular upkeeep would be essential there.

"Palm" is a very generic term. It is commercially grown for oil, sugar, dates, coconut, etc. We would need specifics.

Originally Posted by Borey the Bald

"Palm" is a very generic term. It is commercially grown for oil, sugar, dates, coconut, etc. We would need specifics.

Thais refer to Oil Palms as Palm trees....coconut, Betle,sugar etc by their names usually. Well atleast that's what my lovely says...

That said, regret have no valuable info on Palm oil production for the OP except that lovely says that "cannot sell wood when finished" ..unlike rubber.
..not that many of us are gonna be around to give a flyin...

There was a thread about this a while back.
Lots of good info and yield forecast.
Do a search

Better plant rubber trees.

Originally Posted by Crepitus

Originally Posted by Borey the Bald

"Palm" is a very generic term. It is commercially grown for oil, sugar, dates, coconut, etc. We would need specifics.

Thais refer to Oil Palms as Palm trees....coconut, Betle,sugar etc by their names usually. Well atleast that's what my lovely says...

That said, regret have no valuable info on Palm oil production for the OP except that lovely says that "cannot sell wood when finished" ..unlike rubber.
..not that many of us are gonna be around to give a flyin...

Yes. I was referring to Palm trees that would be used to make palm oil (bio-diesel). The profit with these trees is from the seeds they produce over their 30 year life span rather than the worth of lumber at end of their life.

So, I am hoping to get an estimated breakdown of potential return on a palm tree plantation.
------------This below is just an example of what I would like to see but these figures are just plucked out of the air. What I woul like is if someone with experience could share average weight in KG that can be taken from one tree after 20 days..-----------------
----------EXAMPLE---------
Year 2.5, half of trees in a 70 Rai field (@22 trees per Rai) may start fruiting. If fruit produced is 1KG per tree, then 750 trees * 9 Baht every 20 days = 6750 Baht.
Year 3. 90% of trees are producing seeds. Average of 1.5 KG every 20 days. (So, 1400trees *1.5Kg every 20 days * 9 Baht per Kilo.)
Year 4, 1500 trees * 2 Kg every 20 days @ 10 Baht per kilo....etc etc
----------EXAMPLE---------
I dont know if that is any way accurate though and it completely depends on the crop and whether they produce to potential. Maybe the younger trees do not reproduce seeds as regular as older trees (every 20 days) ? I know costs would need to be taken out for cutting and transport to factory (refinery ?).

Originally Posted by POThailand

Originally Posted by Crepitus

Originally Posted by Borey the Bald

"Palm" is a very generic term. It is commercially grown for oil, sugar, dates, coconut, etc. We would need specifics.

Thais refer to Oil Palms as Palm trees....coconut, Betle,sugar etc by their names usually. Well atleast that's what my lovely says...

That said, regret have no valuable info on Palm oil production for the OP except that lovely says that "cannot sell wood when finished" ..unlike rubber.
..not that many of us are gonna be around to give a flyin...

Yes. I was referring to Palm trees that would be used to make palm oil (bio-diesel). The profit with these trees is from the seeds they produce over their 30 year life span rather than the worth of lumber at end of their life.

So, I am hoping to get an estimated breakdown of potential return on a palm tree plantation.
--This below is just an example of what I would like to see but these figures are just plucked out of the air. What I woul like is if someone with experience could share average weight in KG that can be taken from one tree after 20 days..--
EXAMPLE----
Year 2.5, half of trees in a 70 Rai field (@22 trees per Rai) may start fruiting. If fruit produced is 1KG per tree, then 750 trees * 9 Baht every 20 days = 6750 Baht.
Year 3. 90% of trees are producing seeds. Average of 1.5 KG every 20 days. (So, 1400trees *1.5Kg every 20 days * 9 Baht per Kilo.)
Year 4, 1500 trees * 2 Kg every 20 days @ 10 Baht per kilo....etc etc
EXAMPLE----
I dont know if that is any way accurate though and it completely depends on the crop and whether they produce to potential. Maybe the younger trees do not reproduce seeds as regular as older trees (every 20 days) ? I know costs would need to be taken out for cutting and transport to factory (refinery ?).

good luck with that mate ...you are obviously in the early learning curve/research stage..go talk to agriculture dept or locals..farming here is far from a spreadsheet science..more suck it and see..
....you may want to know that your palm oil is used in many products from pharmaceuticals to chocalate/candy to plain old cooking oil...did not not know it was used in biodiesel ... cassava methinks?

Looking at this more, it seems that Palm can give up to 25Kg a bunch. There would be maybe 5 bunches on any one tree. Guess 1 bunch could be taken from one tree every 20 days. ??????

Bunch - "upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Elaeis_guineensis_fruits_on_tree.jpg/200px-Elaeis_guineensis_fruits_on_tree.jpg"

Could be completely wrong on this weight ?? Guess this is on trees that are near to 10 years old ??

Tapping the Thai palm oil industry | Business Report Thailand

http://www.gtz.de/de/dokumente/en-bo...-palm-2010.pdf

One of the problems I've had with the oil palm is the volatility of the prices. Right now its around 6 baht a kilo. I've seen it go as low as 2 baht where you barely break even. The commercial fertizer is very expensive and doesnt always seem to work. I'm making my own fertilizer now using worms to.compost the palm.fronds and spraying enzyme.
You have to do a lot of mowing the first few years. I've got about a 1000 trees. It makes money but not a lot.

Originally Posted by Mr Earl

One of the problems I've had with the oil palm is the volatility of the prices. Right now its around 6 baht a kilo. I've seen it go as low as 2 baht where you barely break even. The commercial fertizer is very expensive and doesnt always seem to work. I'm making my own fertilizer now using worms to.compost the palm.fronds and spraying enzyme.
You have to do a lot of mowing the first few years. I've got about a 1000 trees. It makes money but not a lot.

I know that area for planting makes a difference in return. Can I ask what region your plantation is ? 1000 trees would be about 45 rai ?

Are you getting anywhere near 25Kg per tree every 20 days ?...or is that weight not realistic ? (guess age of tree is a factor there)

If 25Kg...then that would work out at minimum of 50,000 baht every 20 days (2 baht per kilo. Times *3 if 6 baht per kilo). Guess you need to take labour and transport costs into account then.

The place is south of Ranong. Its a good area. Not all the trees produce all the time. We harvest every 15 days. Also production does fall off a bit during the hot dry season. One property has 6 year old trees and is producing well, those trees have been getting the wormcast for two years now. The other one has some older trees which for some reason seem to be going through some sort of dormant season. I'm going to attempt to revive them with the wormcast and enzyme treatment. The fertilizer they sell doesn't seem to work very well. Could be the land itself is a bit tired.
Also there has been some pilferage issues and have recently put up some fencing.
Anyway it does work but it aint all gravy and the numbers dont seem work the way you're hoping.

Originally Posted by RaviAuto

Originally Posted by Borey the Bald

"Palm" is a very generic term. It is commercially grown for oil, sugar, dates, coconut, etc. We would need specifics.

Can you tell me what are the use of Palm Tree ???

Palm trees grow for 30 years. If planted in proper area with correct care (fertilizer, cleaning), temperature, rainfall and soil, they will produce fruit bunches all year round. They can be harvested every 20 days. Can start harvesting after year 3 or 4 and optimal output is around year 10. Oil is extracted from fruit bunches. The oil can be used in many foods, soaps (eg. palm olive) and can be used in making biodiesel. Can be used as frying oil also. That is beyond the farmers level as they only grow the fruit and sell it on. You would sell the fruit bunches to a Mill at the going price (minus transport). Now is 7 baht per kilo I think. Eventually, you could sell the wood (trunk) for furniture or making plywood or paper.

Just adding as point of interest. (now for the science bit ... Biodiesel made by creating reaction to palm oil. Add lye, sodium (or potassium) hydroxide, methanol, sulfuric acid. Waiting 8 hours for reaction to finish and separating glycerine from bottom and biodiesel at top. Biodiesel then washed with water (special machines needed of course)

Interesting enough video

Part 1
Oil Palm Part I - YouTube

Part 2

Originally Posted by ltnt

Better plant rubber trees.

We planning also put oil palms, have rubber trees already but price go much down. What kind business is oil palms, is those need much work?

Is Thai coverment give some money for help if start oil palms ? Anyone know ?

Originally Posted by markos

Originally Posted by ltnt

Better plant rubber trees.

We planning also put oil palms, have rubber trees already but price go much down. What kind business is oil palms, is those need much work?

From what I've heard........
Problem with these plantations is it would need continuous finance for 3 years at least. Possibly it will be able to pay for its own upkeep after 3 or so years but no surplus money made yet (surplus needed to start paying off what you borrow to start this in the 1st place). So, basically it only sucks / leeches money for first few years.

This would be a long term project rather easy money and a quick profit.

It needs much care and attention at start as fertilizing plants, cleaning ground of competing shrubs/weeds when young is important and may determine the sex of tree and FFB output later on when producing.

Cost & other Considerations:
- Land (Correct rainfall needed)
- Buying trees (quality very important)
- Cleaning and Tilling land for plantation
- Planting
- Fertilizer
- Workers
- Tools needed
- Storage
- Location of plantation (road access, transport and access to Mill)

Originally Posted by POThailand

Originally Posted by markos

Originally Posted by ltnt

Better plant rubber trees.

We planning also put oil palms, have rubber trees already but price go much down. What kind business is oil palms, is those need much work?

From what I've heard........
Problem with these plantations is it would need continuous finance for 3 years at least. Possibly it will be able to pay for its own upkeep after 3 or so years but no surplus money made yet (surplus needed to start paying off what you borrow to start this in the 1st place). So, basically it only sucks / leeches money for first few years.

This would be a long term project rather easy money and a quick profit.

It needs much care and attention at start as fertilizing plants, cleaning ground of competing shrubs/weeds when young is important and may determine the sex of tree and FFB output later on when producing.

Cost & other Considerations:
- Land (Correct rainfall needed)
- Buying trees (quality very important)
- Cleaning and Tilling land for plantation
- Planting
- Fertilizer
- Workers
- Tools needed
- Storage
- Location of plantation (road access, transport and access to Mill)

Ok, thanks for this information. So looks it also need much work, and much money also when start.

we got 38 rai - 7000 to 9000 kilo's every 20 days. Majority of the trees are between 10 and 15 years old and about 80 trees of 3 years old.
Costs Fertilizer 120.000 per year.
Pruning - 12.000 per year.
Mowing 6 times per year but usually do that myself with small tractor and bush mower.

Originally Posted by Deboer

we got 38 rai - 7000 to 9000 kilo's every 20 days. Majority of the trees are between 10 and 15 years old and about 80 trees of 3 years old.
Costs Fertilizer 120.000 per year.
Pruning - 12.000 per year.
Mowing 6 times per year but usually do that myself with small tractor and bush mower.

So, you getting about 10Kilo per tree every 20 days ?
I think you now get 5.8 Baht/ Kilo when you sell FFB ??
So, that would work out about 1m Baht / year ??
-132000 (expences) ??? (About €20k / year ?)

You know how long you expect to wait for your 3 year old trees to give same as your 10-15 year old trees ?

As another poster have said, you do have years that are less, you cannot really calculate per tree, sometimes 1 tree has 4 ripe bunches at each 25 to 30 kilo's and another tree has got none or they aren't ripe yet.
Expenses are in thai baht 12000 for pruning and about 120K to 150K per year for fertilizer. At the moment price is around 6 baht/kilo. you get heavy bunches as from 6 to 8 years old.

Many factors......, is the soil suitable ? Has the soil been "overused", does it need some time to recover ? IF you buy land with trees on it, have they been fertilized adequately ? The Thais around us wonder why I usually have more return then they do. Well, I keep the land and trunks of tree clean of all growth, fertilize 3 to 4 times per year, prune twice..... My Thai neighbours, keeping tree truncks free of growth, euhhhh why ??? Fertilize only twice because expensive maakmaak ??? Mowing..... only when they cannot reach their trees anymore they'll do it.

Originally Posted by Deboer

Today we harvested 18 rai - 3235 kilo @ 5.70 baht (last week it was 6.10 baht ) - 18439 baht received - paid workers 1240 baht = 17199 baht for me
. See you in 20 days fruity's, grow, grow, grow. This was a pretty good harvest, looking at the trees I expect around the same or a bit more in 20 days.

In a few days we'll harvest the other 20 rai, should be around the same volume there.

Not bad !!
That is average of about 7Kg per tree ?
Would FFB be similar size to this ?? (Guess it depends on tree)

Or this size ? Would this would be a 4 or 5 year old tree