Thread: Rubber trees 101

Thanks.

So a long term view must be taken and hope the FIL doesn't cut another big toe off. There is a brother in law, but he seems more interested in day time TV.

Sold cup at auction yesterday, 36.02 baht per kg. Sheet was bought at 73.36 baht per kg the previous week's sheet auction.

What investment is required for the sheet making machines?

I'm really amazed that the farmers aren't kicking up shit. Just come past 2 cassava merchants and the price is 1.5 Baht per kilo. Less deductions.

From very little to millions of dollars, simplest process, small farmer, a few mixing pans, 20 to 30 Baht each.
Congeal the latex in the pan, throw it on the floor and walk on the rubber flattening it, then a wooden rolling pin to get it thin as possible.
Hand run ribbing roller, not sure of price, but it's just 2 ribbed roller and a fly wheel, 10 to 20,000 Baht I guess.

Long slow process, but doubles, or more your income, from there you just get bigger, but work is involved, most small farmers aren't interested in doing more than they need to live, cup is easy.

Prag, again, you can hand chop, or machine chop cassava, machine choppers are about 15,000 Baht each, that again increases return, but involves extra work.

In the west we work on an hourly rate, when you look at from an hourly rate for work done, things change.
My best husband and wife team earn about $10 US an hour each for tapping and collecting, it's not a 9 to 5 job, so say 10 hours a week during the season, they have their own farm on the side, rice and cassava.

When people compare returns, an income you really need to look at hours of work put in, not overall return.
It's not work watching rice or cassava grow from your hammock, why I like rural Thailand, have a hut and food to eat, what more do you want.

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Prag, again, you can hand chop, or machine chop cassava, machine choppers are about 15,000 Baht each, that again increases return, but involves extra work.

I know that. The only ones I see doing hand chopping are the ladies who search for odd tubers the labour gangs have missed. That then, once dried, is sold to a merchant who comes around in a pick-up.

I've (nor two of my tappers who've tapped and made sheet in the South) ever thought sheet was worth doing until the price was over 100 baht per kg. Remember it is not just one litre/one kilo to compare. I forget the equation to get a 1.3 kg average mat, but you need considerably more than 1 litre of latex. Possible a 2/3 litre mix with water. Work it out, and unless storing (another problem) and playing the markets, 2 kgs of cup is a very similar price to a a kg of mat currently. Hence no point.

Originally Posted by jamescollister

It's not work watching rice or cassava grow from your hammock, why I like rural Thailand, have a hut and food to eat, what more do you want.

A view, a brew, somebody lewd.

Don't forget your brace of deerhounds.

Rumours of 43 baht per kg locally on the gate and 46 baht per kg at auction in Bung Khan last week for cup. We sell next Wed so we'll see...

How long does rubber keep for before you have to sell.?

You can only keep / store sheet, pref smoked.

Sold cup at auction yesterday, 42.55 baht per kg.
Interesting, this time around, the winning bid was direct from one of the local factories, about 50 odd kms away, rather than the usual middlemen.

So whats its shelf life before its of no use to anyone.?

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

You can only keep / store sheet, pref smoked.

How long is a piece of string? Depends on the sheet if smoked or un smoked, storage conditions, etc etc. Out of temperature controlled factory conditions i would guestimate up to 6 months. Best let JC answer the question, as he is far more genned up on sheet/mat than me.

Misinformation on yesterday's buyer. He's a middleman from the deep South. First time buyer up here. Sold locally to one of the factories around here. Not enough trucks (3 instead of 10), not enough staff, slow, pissed off punters. Apparently, as i type this, some sellers are still waiting to be weighed and paid... Process started 8.00am YESTERDAY!

Originally Posted by Chico

So whats its shelf life before its of no use to anyone.?

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

You can only keep / store sheet, pref smoked.

As TG says it's variable depending on how it is processed, stored, but after a year all non volcanised rubber stars to go brittle.

So useful life for tyres etc is about 12 months, after that it's uses start to narrow.

Does the price of the sheets fluctuate,like the rice when the Thai farmers have to pay back the banks.?

Originally Posted by Chico

Does the price of the sheets fluctuate,like the rice when the Thai farmers have to pay back the banks.?

Rice and rubber is set by the stock markets, gate prices are set by middle men buyers.
Thais generally don't get the best price as they don't work together to sell in groups.

Auction prices GRM have broken the 90 Baht a kilo for ribbed smoked sheet, this is good news for small planters.
Extra expendable income, means house building, new cars, white goods etc if it stays up.
Family with 20 rai of reasonable rubber, working their own land, $500 US a week in the good times.

For me, it's beer and weekends away with the boys, fingers crossed it's not just a blip in the markets.

Got to feel sorry for the rubber planters down south and the other countries being hit by floods, poor prices for years, now floods.

What few are saying, or taking into account is the long term effects of the floods, rubber trees die after 20 days of being water logged, palm oil about a month.

Not read any estimates on the total loss of plantations, guess it's a wait and see thing.

Hopefully, the price will increase further for you, if the floods have devastated many plantations in the south.

Over 100 Baht national auction price RSS today, makes you wonder about these commodity experts.
6 months ago, rubber was dead until 2020, over supply, lack of demand, but everyone knew about the weather, El Nino and the reverse little brother was coming.
Plus farmers leaving rubber for other crops, now we are are talking a real under supply.
For me, I may be able to buy an in ground pool in 2017, either way, won't run out of beer.

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Over 100 Baht national auction price RSS today, makes you wonder about these commodity experts.
6 months ago, rubber was dead until 2020, over supply, lack of demand, but everyone knew about the weather, El Nino and the reverse little brother was coming.
Plus farmers leaving rubber for other crops, now we are are talking a real under supply.
For me, I may be able to buy an in ground pool in 2017, either way, won't run out of beer.

All of this speculation is moot, Jim - as long as important commodities, and their respective markets, are highly controlled by government/corporate mafias.

How 'bout the basic ideals of a free and open market.....allowed to fluctuate in a real and natural manner?

Trat province, last month 31TB/Kg, this month 40tb/Kg. same young trees!