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.
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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.
Think I'd take the governments cut down money if they were my trees.Quote:
Originally Posted by thaiguzzi
Thai way, stick them in the ground, fertilize with hope. Jim
I THOUGHT TOO MUCH RAIN IS ALSO NO GOOD. KAMPHAENG PHET IS SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD AREA...ACCORDING TO MY WIFES UNCLEQuote:
Originally Posted by Klondyke
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?
Cassarva is usually grown between non producing trees which brings in an income till the trees start to produce.Quote:
Originally Posted by thaiguzzi
Photo in post 638 shows bad land management in my opinion. I'm no farmer, just a tied observer.
I'm really surprised that the growers aren't aware of this, or at least haven't had this situation brought to their attention.Quote:
Originally Posted by MeMock
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by thaimemeI'm really surprised that the growers aren't aware of this, or at least haven't had this situation brought to their attention.Quote:
Originally Posted by MeMock
As rubber farmers know this already, it has this look of not being attended to/worked.....
Watched people crying, as they look on at their future turn to ash, Buddha didn't take care.
2 out of 3 ain't bad, go to Lao a lot, going there Wednesday, not overseas, but a big river, does that count. JimQuote:
Originally Posted by OhOh
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollisterUncut grass is a fire hazard, dry season comes, rice farmer burns off, one ember, whole plantations burn.Quote:
Originally Posted by thaimemeI'm really surprised that the growers aren't aware of this, or at least haven't had this situation brought to their attention.Quote:
Originally Posted by MeMock
As rubber farmers know this already, it has this look of not being attended to/worked.....
Watched people crying, as they look on at their future turn to ash, Buddha didn't take care.
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.
I feel a trip report would be welcome. Come on let's see how the Collister family chill out in Laos.:)Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollister
Yeah Jim the tree's are not yours ,the land is not yours ,this is just one of the reasons why I would never ever contemplate going into farming here in Thailand, but come to think of it that goes for any other business which involves dealing with Thai's, be it family or otherwise , heard and seen too many horror stories for the thought to enter my head for even a milli second ,the way I view it is that I have a good standard of living without the stress and worry ,of course there are success storys here without a doubt but I ain't worked for over 35 years to take a risk with my hard eared money here with people who's outlook on life in general is light years away from mine :)Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollisterThink I'd take the governments cut down money if they were my trees.Quote:
Originally Posted by thaiguzzi
Thai way, stick them in the ground, fertilize with hope. Jim
Cassava is grown between rows of trees, you are correct. But it is the wrong thing to do, especially once trees are 2-3 years old and a proper root system is taking place. The correct procedure to remove established cassava is with a tractor and ripper. Worse than using a plough, and hence cutting all your nice growing roots. The only commercial thing recomended for rubber trees are pineapples, and stopping in the 3rd year. Year 4 onwards, nothing but your rubber trees on a rubber plantation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pragmatic
A ripper/plough is rarely used where I live, and only used when the cassava is being harvested in ground that has been baked hard in the sun. Also reason why cassava isn't harvested between rubber trees during that period. Plus they're planted in furrows to allow ease of manual extraction.Quote:
Originally Posted by thaiguzzi
KOTTAYAM(Commodity Online): Panic is spreading among India rubber growers, owing to the steep fall in domestic rubber prices as it plunged below Rs 130 a kg level on Thursday in domestic markets. This is the sharpest fall in five years. Further fall is likely,raising fear among the growers. Experts say the price is likely to touch Rs 120 a kg.
In the southern Indian state Kerala, the plantations are passing through a gloomy phase as tapping has come to a halt in most small and medium sized plantations. The growers say the higher wages and expenses against poor returns forced them to keep away from tapping.
The demand for rubber is falling in domestic markets. And rising imports in the current year are posing greater threat to the prices. The farmers are in distress and they urged the government many times to freeze the imports. But the government has ruled out possibilities of hiking import duty.
A recent study conducted by Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) has reported that 45% of plantations in India fall in aged and low-yielding category. The ageing trees pose the threat of low yield thereby signalling a cut in production. ATMA had urged the India Rubber Board to encourage farmers with higher re-plantation subsidies.
Source:- Commodity Online
So its not just Thailand thats having problems !, mind you Thailands lucky in on way cos they ain't got millions of Paki's breathing down their necks:)
It's a world wide thing, not just rubber, but most commodities, big miners in OZ crying about falling prices etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by piwanoi
No idea what's happening globally with the markets, but commonsense tells me that there will be an under supply of rubber next year.
People have stopped tapping, big sheet and block rubber makers are selling at a loss, they will stop producing or go broke.
Smaller sheet makers like me, stopped making last year, people cutting down trees, no tappers, not enough money to be made.
Can't continue for ever, or there will be no rubber, big picture stuff, oil down, iron ore down, coal down and rubber.
India is a strange one, big tire manufacturer, companies threatening to go off shore, they can't get enough rubber, restrictions on imported rubber.
Jim
Jim I really admire your optimism, I just hope everything pans out for you ,the way I look at it if any one deserves a bit of good fortune its you!:)Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollisterIt's a world wide thing, not just rubber, but most commodities, big miners in OZ crying about falling prices etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by piwanoi
No idea what's happening globally with the markets, but commonsense tells me that there will be an under supply of rubber next year.
People have stopped tapping, big sheet and block rubber makers are selling at a loss, they will stop producing or go broke.
Smaller sheet makers like me, stopped making last year, people cutting down trees, no tappers, not enough money to be made.
Can't continue for ever, or there will be no rubber, big picture stuff, oil down, iron ore down, coal down and rubber.
India is a strange one, big tire manufacturer, companies threatening to go off shore, they can't get enough rubber, restrictions on imported rubber.
Jim
piwanoi, even at today's crap prices, we can get by OK, just no Xmas in OZ, fewer weekends away, but as long as there's beer in the ice, kids have all they need, we'll get by.
Next dormant time, trees go to sleep, will be the kicker, if we haven't put enough in the bank, I'll be looking or a few months work some where. An option that I'm not keen on, told the wife she should go back, get a job, I'll stay here with the kids.
Jim
Seems to me Jim, You'd be better off all the way around with a job that pays than a job that depends on Thailand's great unwashed hierarchy for a living? I suppose you know what the breaking point is when you decide a life behind "prison walls," is better for all.
Glass half full or half empty stuff, reality, take out living costs and we make more expendable income here, even at today's prices.Quote:
Originally Posted by ltnt
As said we are big enough to get by and have a better standard of living, here.
Last years was not good, but take out wages and fertilizer costs and we earned a tad over 1 mil Baht profit.
Going to have to get really bad before I give up and get a real job, if things are slow for a month or 2 may need to do some work.
Worlds got to get better one day, boom and bust, I'll sit here, looking out over the jungle, cold beer in hand for now. Jim
Jim sorry if I appear intrusive but 3 times you mentioned "we" ,of course I could understand it if you said "I' ,so does "we" refer to the whole "family" or what?, I mean you have already admitted the tree's are not yours and if they was you would cut them down and take the Government grant ,so really you do not believe that the price of rubber will increase in the future otherwise why would you want to hack the tree's down if they was yours? ,something in your story just does not add up.Quote:
Originally Posted by jamescollisterGlass half full or half empty stuff, reality, take out living costs and we make more expendable income here, even at today's prices.Quote:
Originally Posted by ltnt
As said we are big enough to get by and have a better standard of living, here.
Last years was not good, but take out wages and fertilizer costs and we earned a tad over 1 mil Baht profit.
Going to have to get really bad before I give up and get a real job, if things are slow for a month or 2 may need to do some work.
Worlds got to get better one day, boom and bust, I'll sit here, looking out over the jungle, cold beer in hand for now. Jim
piwanoi, we, wife, as to chopping the trees, was referring to the picture, not my trees.
My have made it sound like that, if the trees in the pics were mine, I would chop them down, my trees are good, not chopping them down.
As to who owns what, we family own, wife, kids and me, Thai law only says farangs can't own land, wife and kids can.
Not getting divorced, but under Thai family law I would be treated as a husband and entitled to the same rights as a Thai, but no land ownership. Family court would decide who gets what, in the kids interest. Jim
# Sold cup at auction today, Udon province, 25.00 baht per kg. Been dropping 2 baht per kg every fortnight for 8 weeks now. Colossal output from not that many taps this past fortnight slightly made up for the shitty price.
# Opening another 1000 trees this week which should help.
# According to the Rubber Economist and Global Rubber Markets, this year's end of season glut of 700,000 tons, will be almost halved by 46% next year, and 2016 "should" see a return to demand = supply. Hence prices rising.
# If prices remain in the low 20's next year, i'm off to the UK for a year's work, and my two main tappers are off to Taiwan for a 2 year factory contract.
Suggest you purchase that ticket now. As well start looking at the help wanted pages. This seasons glut translates into next seasons over production by global proportions. Don't look for a decrease in supply. Consumption drives prices not production unless its "Under-produced, with high demand," like diamonds controlled by the Belgium diamond borse.Quote:
Originally Posted by thaiguzzi
Loads of diamonds, just a managed supply on the open market. You won't get Viet Nam to cut production or India. World is awash in synthetic rubber, no supply side delima there.
Funny, considering that when folks start their plantations they think the playing field is even in Asia. When you look at the average intelligence of the locals and you still base your livelihood based on idiots in charge of a failed economy...there's just not much sympathy for you. Every market price in Thailand or Asia for that matter is fixed by the almighty Hi-So's and anyone who says differently is lieing to themselves.
Bangkok's elite have burned out more poor farmers than all the blight, droughts and free falls in markets put together. buy that ticket now thaigussi, don't hesitate.
IMHO your post is depressingly 98% accurate :)Quote:
Originally Posted by ltnt
This article concerning China's rapid increase in Rubber production IMHO blows an ill wind for Thailand's rubber farmers That Stink Is the Smell of Money: China's New Rubber-Farming Dilemma - The Atlantic
^^The more things change, the more they stay the same.:rolleyes:
Ye of little faith, go back 10, 12 years ago, naysayers, rubbers finished, 2008/9 GFC, rubbers finished.
I haven't done a days paid work in 5 years, willing to bet next year I'll still be sitting here, listening to the rain.
Oil sets the price of rubber, will oil stay cheap for ever, will Indians, Chinese, Sth Americans get richer and not buy cars.
Things go up and things go down, rubbers been around for 200 years and not going away tomorrow.
The way some talk, you'd think the worlds coming to an end, just a cycle.
Itnt, Thailand normally runs on a surplus, hows the US surplus.
Global production of motorvehicles
(cars and commercial vehicles)
Year Production Change Source
1997 54,434,000 [12]
1998 52,987,000 -2.7% [12]
1999 56,258,892 6.2% [13]
2000 58,374,162 3.8% [14]
2001 56,304,925 -3.5% [15]
2002 58,994,318 4.8% [16]
2003 60,663,225 2.8% [17]
2004 64,496,220 6.3% [18]
2005 66,482,439 3.1% [19]
2006 69,222,975 4.1% [20]
2007 73,266,061 5.8% [21]
2008 70,520,493 -3.7% [22]
2009 61,791,868 -12.4% [23]
2010 77,857,705 26.0% [24]
2011 79,989,155 3.1% [25]
2012 84,141,209 5.3% [26]
2013 87,300,115 3.7% [27]
Lots of car and trucks out there, they need tires, market forces at work, next year could be 2010 again, who knows.
Written exactly 2 years ago, perhaps we should have paid heed to this guy?
Not a good outlook.Quote:
Not everyone agrees. In the July 17 blog entry I made a reference to a book by Dambisa Moyo, a former investment banker turned economic writer, called Winner Take All, in which the author argues that the world is facing a crisis in the form of a commodity shortage, and she expects prices to surge. Unlike her, however, I expect the price of hard commodities and certain industry-related soft commodities (like rubber) to drop sharply in the next three years, and to stay low for many years thereafter.
^^
If you expect the world economy to slow, or go into recession, then demand for commodities will fall.
Question is how long the slow or no growth will last, not been much growth since the GFC, 2009.
Don't know average time between recessions and growth, but had them before, recessions, stagnation, depressions or whatever they want to call them at the time.
Crystal ball gazing, if I knew the answers, I'd be very rich years ago.
when "we" left the uk 10 years ago the guy I used to buy and sell shares said to me " don't worry I will not put it (fund money) in a rubber plantation in southeast asia. what did I start afew years later? a smallish rubber plantation! rubber is always boom or bust, always will be. the price will come back one day then for sure fall off again........... just gotta be in it for the long haul.
all you doom merchants, got anything growing in the wifes land?
jim keep pluggin away, you have a good out look on life in general. at least you give things a go.........
always a pleasure to read the goings on in the life of a plantation "boss" !
Not me. She ain't got any land other than what the house is built on.Quote:
Originally Posted by farmerjohn
Have land, but use it for the wife's pet orchard trees and flower garden.Will buy land as it comes avialable from farmers whos debt exceeds their income, only 4 rai now. The way the agriculture business is going with the new organization in charge looks like those super fund price supports are gone for now. All those new cars, trucks and tractors all going back to dealers and banks.
Somchai has gone fishing if that's any indication of the nations farming community health. We don't comment wishing ill winds to befall anyone. Hopefully we add some information for thought and insight into the community.
Being poor in Thailand is a national way of life except for the 1%. Thailand will soon advance into the era of massive industrial farming with Chinese leading their way forward. Chinese buying up Thailand till there's no turning back and no tomorrow for the future independent Thai farmer.
The Chinese are buying every hard asset they can find worldwide. They have got to turn their profits/fiat "invested" in the US markets into something real that has value.Quote:
Originally Posted by ltnt
Yeah Pragmatic as you have already seen with our house which you have already seen we are both(wisely) in the same boat , Yasojack describes it as a " Mud hut" in his "racist thread" maybe you could set him straight :smileylaughing:Quote:
Originally Posted by Pragmatic
^ My apologies for repeating myself but a litre of my vintage Pineapple wine often brings this malady on :rofl:
I'd be happy to oblige Piwanoi. Who's he posting under these days?Quote:
Originally Posted by piwanoi