Thread: Rubber trees 101

# Those trees in those 2 pics are more than 2 years old. looking at the canopy, i'd say at least 4.
# 51 pages on rubber trees - anybody out there actually own, operate, and get an income from a plantation apart from me and Jim? Or is everybody on here just a keyboard/google farmer?
# Makes Thai Visa farming section look civilised, informative and coherent.

^^In this area we seem to be more diverse in crops...beans, chilies, pumpkins, corn, mushrooms, cucumbers, bell peppers, oranges, all sorts of fruit trees, watermelon, potatoes, rubber, rice, cassava, even some beets and turnips to be found.

Its not because they aren't trying folks. the price at the farmers levels are so depressed that the profit is cut before they start. The market never reflect the actual buyer's cost at the farm...eg: Tamarind harvested and shelled at the farmers door 7 baht a kilo. What's it at the market? 75 baht at the Big C. unshelled btw.

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

Or is everybody on here just a keyboard/google farmer?

I admit I'm not a farmer but I just happen to live in an area where being observer into Thai farmers practices and way of life is really in ones face. I walk 5+m anywhere around our house I'm walking on cassava. And when I came here 10 years ago and I saw how everybody lived I knew farming wasn't/isn't the way to go in Thailand. To basically put it, to go into farming here one must be either desperate of off their rocker.
If farming works for you Thaiguzzi, then good for you. Good luck with your dreams.

Will have a bit of a break from Song Kran with the kids, throwing water at the village passersby and try and put a bit of prospective on this.
Mike and I are in the 3 top percent of rubber producers in Thailand, sounds good, but 97% of plantations are small family jobs.

Last season, shall we say an average wet cup price of 25 Baht a kilo, down now, but it's was falling all last season, Mike may remember prices from earlier last year.
I know from last time we made RSS we produced, best 2 month about 6,000 kilos per month.
Wet cup 20 to 30% water say, so guessing, about an average of 6,000 kilos of wet cup a month for 10 months of the year, meaning around 60,000 kilos for the year.
! point 5 million Bath at an average of 25 Baht a kilo, cut it in half, tappers 40% and 10 percent for other costs, leaving over 700,000 profit, this is a bad year.

Now how much would you need to invest in the west to get that return, plus your land values continue to grow and rubber prices will climb again, when is the question not if.
When sheet hits 70 Baht plus we will return to sheet, same numbers, but more money.

This is a third world country, no rent, no mortgage and few taxes, cars and electricity are the only real bills [not counting the factory, taxes etc there]
We go away at least once a month for the weekend, 2011 we holidayed in Australia and we have made it through the down time once again, about 1/2 the trees have been opened.

^ Nice to read you are surviving Jim ,got a couple of Aussie mates here who ain't worked in Ozz for over three months due to the down turn in Iron ore exports to China ,Aussie Dollar same as Sterling is up shits creek without a paddle does not help too, never mind there's only one way to go when your in the basement ain't there

Originally Posted by piwanoi

^ Nice to read you are surviving Jim ,got a couple of Aussie mates here who ain't worked in Ozz for over three months due to the down turn in Iron ore exports to China ,Aussie Dollar same as Sterling is up shits creek without a paddle does not help too, never mind there's only one way to go when your in the basement ain't there

If there had been any work in Oz we would have gone back for a few months, good for the kids to catch up with family and their English.

Have many friends that left the prisons for the mines, now they are drawing dole living in homes they can't afford.

Times may be tough for rubber, but a lot worse to find your self unemployed with little hope of finding a real job.

Things will really have to get bad here before I leave, can't even get dole for 12 weeks.

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Originally Posted by piwanoi

^ Nice to read you are surviving Jim ,got a couple of Aussie mates here who ain't worked in Ozz for over three months due to the down turn in Iron ore exports to China ,Aussie Dollar same as Sterling is up shits creek without a paddle does not help too, never mind there's only one way to go when your in the basement ain't there

If there had been any work in Oz we would have gone back for a few months, good for the kids to catch up with family and their English.

Have many friends that left the prisons for the mines, now they are drawing dole living in homes they can't afford.

Times may be tough for rubber, but a lot worse to find your self unemployed with little hope of finding a real job.

Things will really have to get bad here before I leave, can't even get dole for 12 weeks.

Cos I have a few Aussie mates here I am pretty well informed on whats going on over there in Ozz and its far from good is it , plus I read the "Melbourne Age"almost every day ,even with the depressed Aussie dollar two pensioners here live quite well , were they would find it grim living back there on the same money ,the price of the two staples in life back there , beer and fags are frightening

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

May be it's the soil where I live but don't see anything new in the way of diversity. It's the same same year in, year out. Yes I've seen them try other crops, such as kidney beans, but they always seem to return to 'old reliable' cassava.

To me it seems that the farmers grow rice because it gives them something to eat and it ain't that labour entensive now we have mechanical harvestors.

As for cassava I think it is planted because it is also a pretty simple non labour demanding crop. Sort of a plant, forget ,harvest cycle and if you are on the lazy side that would appeal. From what I read here rubber needs too much committment and work to make a success and these two factors don't seem to be in oversupply.

Originally Posted by ootai

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

May be it's the soil where I live but don't see anything new in the way of diversity. It's the same same year in, year out. Yes I've seen them try other crops, such as kidney beans, but they always seem to return to 'old reliable' cassava.

To me it seems that the farmers grow rice because it gives them something to eat and it ain't that labour entensive now we have mechanical harvestors.

As for cassava I think it is planted because it is also a pretty simple non labour demanding crop. Sort of a plant, forget ,harvest cycle and if you are on the lazy side that would appeal. From what I read here rubber needs too much committment and work to make a success and these two factors don't seem to be in oversupply.

Cassava a non demanding labour crop? with my apologies of course, but I do not think you have witnessed the back breaking work demanded lifting Cassava after 2 months without any rain when the ground is like concrete

Just a little eye opener for those who thought slavery had been abolished ,this scene right on pragmatics door step

Originally Posted by ltnt

^^In this area we seem to be more diverse in crops...beans, chilies, pumpkins, corn, mushrooms, cucumbers, bell peppers, oranges, all sorts of fruit trees, watermelon, potatoes, rubber, rice, cassava, even some beets and turnips to be found.

Its not because they aren't trying folks. the price at the farmers levels are so depressed that the profit is cut before they start. The market never reflect the actual buyer's cost at the farm...eg: Tamarind harvested and shelled at the farmers door 7 baht a kilo. What's it at the market? 75 baht at the Big C. unshelled btw.

At least their having a go with variety and experimentation....
Become largely universal throughout farming circles today.

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Originally Posted by ltnt

^^In this area we seem to be more diverse in crops...beans, chilies, pumpkins, corn, mushrooms, cucumbers, bell peppers, oranges, all sorts of fruit trees, watermelon, potatoes, rubber, rice, cassava, even some beets and turnips to be found.

Its not because they aren't trying folks. the price at the farmers levels are so depressed that the profit is cut before they start. The market never reflect the actual buyer's cost at the farm...eg: Tamarind harvested and shelled at the farmers door 7 baht a kilo. What's it at the market? 75 baht at the Big C. unshelled btw.

At least their having a go with variety and experimentation....
Become largely universal throughout farming circles today.

Having a go at being robbed blind,? yeah their future is totally secure I'm sure

Originally Posted by piwanoi

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Originally Posted by ltnt

^^In this area we seem to be more diverse in crops...beans, chilies, pumpkins, corn, mushrooms, cucumbers, bell peppers, oranges, all sorts of fruit trees, watermelon, potatoes, rubber, rice, cassava, even some beets and turnips to be found.

Its not because they aren't trying folks. the price at the farmers levels are so depressed that the profit is cut before they start. The market never reflect the actual buyer's cost at the farm...eg: Tamarind harvested and shelled at the farmers door 7 baht a kilo. What's it at the market? 75 baht at the Big C. unshelled btw.

At least their having a go with variety and experimentation....
Become largely universal throughout farming circles today.

Having a go at being robbed blind,? yeah their future is totally secure I'm sure

...only, if allowed to practice farming freely, that is.
Presently - not of this nature.

Originally Posted by ootai

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

May be it's the soil where I live but don't see anything new in the way of diversity. It's the same same year in, year out. Yes I've seen them try other crops, such as kidney beans, but they always seem to return to 'old reliable' cassava.

To me it seems that the farmers grow rice because it gives them something to eat and it ain't that labour entensive now we have mechanical harvestors.

As for cassava I think it is planted because it is also a pretty simple non labour demanding crop. Sort of a plant, forget ,harvest cycle and if you are on the lazy side that would appeal. From what I read here rubber needs too much committment and work to make a success and these two factors don't seem to be in oversupply.

"Seems to me". "I think". No, rice is grown in a one cycle crop once a year in the NE, because that's all that can be done in that soil. The white sandy soil is the next best thing, only sugar, cassava or rubber grown in it, nutrients washed away every rainy season. There is a reason why the NE has always been the poorest area of Thailand. And it aint down to "lazy" Isaan people...

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

Originally Posted by ootai

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

May be it's the soil where I live but don't see anything new in the way of diversity. It's the same same year in, year out. Yes I've seen them try other crops, such as kidney beans, but they always seem to return to 'old reliable' cassava.

To me it seems that the farmers grow rice because it gives them something to eat and it ain't that labour entensive now we have mechanical harvestors.

As for cassava I think it is planted because it is also a pretty simple non labour demanding crop. Sort of a plant, forget ,harvest cycle and if you are on the lazy side that would appeal. From what I read here rubber needs too much committment and work to make a success and these two factors don't seem to be in oversupply.

"Seems to me". "I think". No, rice is grown in a one cycle crop once a year in the NE, because that's all that can be done in that soil. The white sandy soil is the next best thing, only sugar, cassava or rubber grown in it, nutrients washed away every rainy season. There is a reason why the NE has always been the poorest area of Thailand. And it aint down to "lazy" Isaan people...

Guzzi watching the back breaking work in the Vid in my post #1272 it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Issan Thai's are not lazy ,however in my area its the older generation of both sex's that appear to be doing the donkey work ,and at rice harvesting time the cutters were a combine is not used, the ratio of women to men is about 90% in favour of the women , in my area there is an undoubted exodus of young people from the land to the major industrial and entertainment venues ,and who is to blame them? there is no comparison to the hit or miss farming with much if not all being seasonal to a guaranteed monthly wage is there ?

Correct. Rice harvesting manually, is getting more difficult per year, due to lack of good, and more importantly, reliable workers. The majority are post 40/50. MIL, age 56, gets 350-400 baht per day helping out at these times in her village. Maybe one day, 1 or 2 generations from now, there will be no rice small holders left.

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

Correct. Rice harvesting manually, is getting more difficult per year, due to lack of good, and more importantly, reliable workers. The majority are post 40/50. MIL, age 56, gets 350-400 baht per day helping out at these times in her village. Maybe one day, 1 or 2 generations from now, there will be no rice small holders left.

No arguments there Guzzi ,the days of the horny handed Sons and Daughters of the soil appear numbered ,and the days of the big rice growing company's are sadly not far off ,there's quite a bit of land only fit for rice for sale here right now, Jan my wife informs me ,and as we both concur on when the older generation goes to the happy hunting grounds ,what then?

^Condo's, parking lots and shopping malls?

Originally Posted by ltnt

^Condo's, parking lots and shopping malls?

...or something like that.

The new age of mindless consumption - paving paradise and calling it whatever.

Originally Posted by thaimeme

Originally Posted by ltnt

^Condo's, parking lots and shopping malls?

...or something like that.

The new age of mindless consumption - paving paradise and calling it whatever.

The way I look at it with your political pulsation's, I am absolutely certain you would be far happier in North Korea were every one appears to be happy although not knowing were their next bowl of rice is coming from

Originally Posted by piwanoi

although not knowing were their next bowl of rice is coming from

No rice there, only grazing on grass is allowed. Of course its America's fault.

Originally Posted by ltnt

Originally Posted by piwanoi

although not knowing were their next bowl of rice is coming from

No rice there, only grazing on grass is allowed. Of course its America's fault.

Yeah ,as no doubt Jeff will confirm

Originally Posted by thaimeme

paving paradise and calling it whatever

Developed nation is the word you were looking for. Developed enough for the masses to live on Gov. handout and vote in the next bunch of people who promise more .......... but continue the raping.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Originally Posted by thaimeme

paving paradise and calling it whatever

Developed nation is the word you were looking for. Developed enough for the masses to live on Gov. handout and vote in the next bunch of people who promise more .......... but continue the raping.

A Bit like Thaksin and the Thai rak Thai then? promise the voting masses here in Issan a fairy tale price for their rice ,get your puppet sister elected , make billions for yourself and your cronies , and then leave the Thai tax payer with a 600 billion loss

^Seems to have stimulated the economy that 600 billion loss. Lots of new cars/truck/credit out the yin - yang...someone forgot to mention they needed to sell the rice and subsidized rubber...Market collapse, can't control outside factors, but nevertheless the Thaksin haters will have their day in court with this farce and Yingluck.