Thread: Rubber trees 101

5 hours of good heavy soaking rain, minor flooding, time to open the trees up, another season starts.
Prices up as well, lived through another year, fingers crossed, will get a kind wet season and the rubber will flow.

The never ending cycle of life, love and labour continues. Good luck for this year to all farmers, whatever crop they labour over.

Originally Posted by OhOh

The never ending cycle of life, love and labour continues. Good luck for this year to all farmers, whatever crop they labour over.

Yeah I'll 'second that and I'm no farmer

The good thing about rural life, come hell or high water, is that life carries on- through good times and bad. In this semi-suicidal nation, at least at the top end, it is good to have that distance. Our first concern up here is not politics- it is seasons.

Originally Posted by OhOh

The never ending cycle of life, love and labour continues. Good luck for this year to all farmers, whatever crop they labour over.

Good Luck to all the "Hops & Malt" farmers

Originally Posted by HermantheGerman

Originally Posted by OhOh

The never ending cycle of life, love and labour continues. Good luck for this year to all farmers, whatever crop they labour over.

Good Luck to all the "Hops & Malt" farmers

We used to gather at Doha airport at the start of the summer holiday season. Identifying the parents of the fresh from boarding school, just ripening teenage daughter crop, enabled an easier harvest.

26 baht per kg at auction this week, i was told yesterday. This being the 3rd auction of the new season, starting on Mar 9th. I did'nt know any of the above till yesterday, normally first auctions are late April, early March.
We still have'nt even started tapping. Post Sonkran when we open the trees. Dry and hot, no rain in months...

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

26 baht per kg at auction this week, i was told yesterday. This being the 3rd auction of the new season, starting on Mar 9th. I did'nt know any of the above till yesterday, normally first auctions are late April, early March.
We still have'nt even started tapping. Post Sonkran when we open the trees. Dry and hot, no rain in months...

Been a steady price rise at the the export rubber auctions, about a Baht a day for the last few weeks.

From what I've read, the tire companies at getting worried about supply, general decrease in output overall, but the drought, El nino is the unknown factor, that's when speculators move in.

So things looking up, as said, we've opened our trees , takes awhile for them to get up to speed and it's still way to hot, fingers crossed and a reasonable season ahead.

Prices still rising, almost doubled from the lows, Indian rubber out put for last season, the lowest in 20 years.
According to their rubber board, only 35% of small holding are returning to tapping, even at the higher prices, as they have moved on to other cash crops and jobs.

Will be interesting to see what the numbers are for the other main suppliers, and the big tell is the world tire manufactures profit predictions.

India's tire industry is calling on the government to cut or drop import restrictions and duties as there is now a shortage.

Originally Posted by sabang

The good thing about rural life, come hell or high water, is that life carries on- through good times and bad. In this semi-suicidal nation, at least at the top end, it is good to have that distance. Our first concern up here is not politics- it is seasons.

'Tis this way throughout the country - life and seasons.
Nothing else intervenes really.

What prices they getting for cup in Ubon, Jim?

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

What prices they getting for cup in Ubon, Jim?

Not much rubber around yet, but told Friday 27 Baht for wet cup.
Could be more to the local price rise, seems this is a new co operative opening up not far.
May sell some rubber next week, but still very hot and windy, so no real out put.

Ditto here, prices and weather conditions.
April is the month to be wary up here re summer storms. Touch wood, we have'nt had any trees over or snapped off this year. Normal for 1 or 2 to go over, and 3 or 4 get snapped off about 1.5 - 2 metres from the ground. Fresh large canopy does'nt help, but people can't believe what the winds can do up here damage wise in a plantation.

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

Ditto here, prices and weather conditions.
April is the month to be wary up here re summer storms. Touch wood, we have'nt had any trees over or snapped off this year. Normal for 1 or 2 to go over, and 3 or 4 get snapped off about 1.5 - 2 metres from the ground. Fresh large canopy does'nt help, but people can't believe what the winds can do up here damage wise in a plantation.

This year has been strange wind wise, normally not a breathe of wind, punctuated by storm cells and I guess mini tornadoes, which can take out some tree groups and not touch others.
Hot dry breeze this year is fairly continuous, Elnino I guess, drys the latex out before if flows.

Sold some rubber today, need beer, 27 Baht a kilo, makes a big difference from the low of 14 Baht. Jim

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

Ditto here, prices and weather conditions.
April is the month to be wary up here re summer storms. Touch wood, we have'nt had any trees over or snapped off this year. Normal for 1 or 2 to go over, and 3 or 4 get snapped off about 1.5 - 2 metres from the ground. Fresh large canopy does'nt help, but people can't believe what the winds can do up here damage wise in a plantation.

This year has been strange wind wise, normally not a breathe of wind, punctuated by storm cells and I guess mini tornadoes, which can take out some tree groups and not touch others.
Hot dry breeze this year is fairly continuous, Elnino I guess, drys the latex out before if flows.

Sold some rubber today, need beer, 27 Baht a kilo, makes a big difference from the low of 14 Baht. Jim

Good to hear that things might be turning for the better, Jim.

I'm assuming that the price per kilo, for latex, fluctuates on the whims of the market and politics of the day?

Hope things continue in your [et al] best interests.

Originally Posted by thaimeme

ood to hear that things might be turning for the better, Jim.

I'm assuming that the price per kilo, for latex, fluctuates on the whims of the market and politics of the day?

Hope things continue in your [et al] best interests.

As I posted way back. more to do with market manipulation by the big players.
Tire companies have had a bumper profit year, short term gain, which may turn into a long term loss.
In the end market forces, supply and demand win out, as said Indian rubber output lowest in 20 years, it's not like turning on a tap, unfertilized or maintained plantations will take time to get back up to speed.

Elnino and probably the reverse Lanino next year are an unknown factor, for many small plantations, it could be there end. same for larger company run plantations who employ waged workers.

For me, I can survive on 15 Baht a kilo and live on 20 Baht, after that it's money in the bank.

My bet is a shortage is coming, even a possible under-supply will drive up prices, make hay while the sunshine's.

33 baht per kg @ auction yesterday, cup, Udon province. We have'nt had a sale yet this season.

Driving rain here at the moment, hope it goes all night, cool the place down, all the plantations are up and running, just too hot to get much output.

No tapping tomorrow though, roads already flooding, hope the power stays on.

Hi,

I am not able to post links due to my post count.

globalrubbermarkets.com/43000/43000.html

Thailand: Rubber production halved by drought - Global Rubber Markets

Best wishes,

Dodyai

Originally Posted by Dodyai

Hi,

I am not able to post links due to my post count.

globalrubbermarkets.com/43000/43000.html

Thailand: Rubber production halved by drought - Global Rubber Markets

Best wishes,

Dodyai

Pretty well what I've been saying for over a year, there is no oversupply, think the 50 percent is over the top, but there has been a drop in production from low prices, Elnino has just added to it.

Just a bit of an experiment on my part, but a money saver now and perhaps a little money maker later.

Got a 100 liter/44 gallon metal drum and made it into a charcoal maker, we collect the fallen branches and convert them into charcoal, keep the fire danger down, the plantation cleaner.

So far, 10 bags out of a 15 rai plantation and still going, not going to make a million, but won't be buying charcoal ever again.

That's MIL's job. She gathers fallen branches into heaps every 2-3 months, BIL, turns up and loads the E10 truck up, delivering it to MIL's house. It's all hers for cooking/selling/giving it away. It does indeed burn well, and makes good charcoal.

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

That's MIL's job. She gathers fallen branches into heaps every 2-3 months, BIL, turns up and loads the E10 truck up, delivering it to MIL's house. It's all hers for cooking/selling/giving it away. It does indeed burn well, and makes good charcoal.

People don't bother here, too lazy and plenty of wood around without the need to go collecting.

Question would be, is it economical to set up a central point to collect and convert to charcoal, as said have a factory laying idle.

Bag of charcoal, local price, 150 Baht, but 1,000s of tons just left to rot, or burn't off.

Would need a good number cruncher to figure out the break even point, cost of buying, transport and manufacture, plus tax, must pay as it's a legal company.

Will have a look at it, I know they have some rules that locals can make so much for personal use, but they are not allowed to go cutting trees down.

One for Fredd W on the other thread, says he very smart, looking for an income here.

First sale of the season yesterday, 31.10 baht per kg @ auction. Pitiful amount in weight, but we only sold as staff were swapped onto different plots.

Originally Posted by thaiguzzi

First sale of the season yesterday, 31.10 baht per kg @ auction. Pitiful amount in weight, but we only sold as staff were swapped onto different plots.

We are already into 4 lost tapping days in a row, due to rain, pissing down at the moment.

When it comes to rain, only two types, too much or too little.