Western Farming Ideas which could be adapted to work in Thailand

Just saw this and thought that, with some Thai adaptation could be profitable here.

How Louisiana’s Biggest Crawfish Farm Sells Three Million Pounds of Crawfish Every Year — Dan Does - YouTube

Rice farmers like Mike Frugé of Cajun Crawfish in Louisiana figured out that the two year growing cycle of crawfish synced perfectly with the two year cycle of the rice crop. He shows us how his rice fields are seeded with baby crawfish every other year, creating a new source of food and income for farmers in the area.

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Originally Posted by David48atTD

Rice farmers like Mike Frugé of Cajun Crawfish in Louisiana figured out that the two year growing cycle of crawfish synced perfectly with the two year cycle of the rice crop. He shows us how his rice fields are seeded with baby crawfish every other year, creating a new source of food and income for farmers in the area.

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David
I am just wondering what rice you grow that has a 2 year cycle. Around here it is a 6 month cycle as there is no irrigation just rain fed rice grown.
Plow and plant in April/May and then harvest October/November.

I like the idea of growing the "Crawfish" in the rice paddies but not sure they would survive living in the concrete which is what the paddies become her when they dry out.
I think the equivalent around here is the little crabs they catch in the paddies and the banks of the paddies.

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Originally Posted by ootai

and then harvest October/November.

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What sort of yields, kg/hectare/year, do you achieve?

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Originally Posted by ootai

David
I am just wondering what rice you grow that has a 2 year cycle. Around here it is a 6 month cycle as there is no irrigation just rain fed rice grown.
Plow and plant in April/May and then harvest October/November.

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Mate, we don't grow rice, and your point is valid.

Some further research is required ... thanks

BTW ... this is us ... Thailand:- Life on the Farm is kind of relaxed

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Originally Posted by OhOh

What sort of yields, kg/hectare/year, do you achieve?

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Mate I would love to answer you but as you know rice farming in Thailand is a prohibited occupation for foreigners.
To be honest I don't really know the Missus and her share farmer friend take care of that stuff. I have asked before and usually get told "none of your business" which in my mind means "I don't know".
We usually farm about 70 rai of rice but last year I think she let a few of the family grow rice on some of it so we got a bit less rice and a bit less work.

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Originally Posted by ootai

Around here it is a 6 month cycle as there is no irrigation just rain fed rice grown.

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It is the same in my part of Isaan although as I travel about I do see small areas blessed with a nearby river that can get the water to grow 2 crops per year. Maybe those places could benefit from some rotation.

A UN/FOA mate of mine often tells me that farmers in Egypt get almost twice the yield per rai of rice but when he talks to Thai farmers it all falls on deaf ears.

But it is also possible that is water related as well.

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Originally Posted by ootai

I have asked before and usually get told "none of your business" which in my mind means "I don't know"

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Once a falang, always a falang.

I pay annually to retain, my non-voting membership, of the "Land of Smiles" club.


Mustn't grumble though.

Blighty is going through a dark patch:

Attachment 86457


"Fortis et liber" still seems pretty strong, another energy producer.

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Those tractorcycles with the long handlebars would kill a lot of those mudbugs (crayfish).

They are already doing it, in Cambodia. The crawfish they use is from Australia (we call them yabbies)- the Queensland red claw I believe (?). The New Orleans restaurant in Bangkok does them, but I have never been there since they moved from Washington Square.

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Originally Posted by sabang

The New Orleans restaurant in Bangkok does them, but I have never been there since they moved from Washington Square.

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I believe you are talking about Bourbon Street. Although I haven't been there for a while, the menu was pretty much the same as it was when they were at Washington Square.

I am, cheers for the heads up.

On this episode of ‘Dan Does’, host Daniel Geneen visits LA-based company TransparentSea, which aims to grow the biggest, happiest shrimp using cleaner, cheaper, and more sustainable growing conditions.
Geneen watches the process firsthand to see if this model works and is actually better for the environment.

Their website is ... Home | TransparentSea Farm

How America's Biggest Indoor Shrimp Farm Sells 2 Million Shrimp Every Year — Dan Does - YouTube

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Originally Posted by OhOh

What sort of yields, kg/hectare/year, do you achieve?

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Based on the last few years we get about 52 bags from our 4 rai of late crop sticky rice (the best yield crop). Each bag is 25Kg so that is 325Kg/Rai or a little over 800Kg/acre.

The average rice yield in Italy and the USA is around 3000Kg/Acre to give a comparison.

Our other fields (about 8 rai) have early and mid crop rice because of the natural gradient of the land. These have reduced yields but I don't know the numbers offhand.

The top fields that had early crop rice are at least being utilised in the off season now to produce cucumbers and flowers.

There was a Radio 4 programme on the other day and a slot was reserved to the impact of fertiliser cost increase atm. They went to Thailand and surprise surprise they interviewed a few blokes from some Uni who said most farmers get their urea et al ratios wrong and also put way too much on the land, the upshot they reckon is they the average farmer if they applied science could reduce the weight of fertiliser by near 50% - just shows ....Fertiliser good - throw it on - more crop...oh fertiliser expensive now ....now profit down erm what to do....

^ My experience is that fertiliser in paddy fields is largely hit and miss. I've seen many add fertiliser only to see it washed away due to heavy rain. I've also seen excessive nitrogen being used, which gives lovely green plants but low yield.
Many years ago I saw Japanese farmers using a jelly fertiliser that didn't get washed away and provided slow release. I have never seen it in Thailand, not sure if it was a commercial success.

Not Western, but Japanese ...

2015 稲刈り　Japanese harvesting of the rice - YouTube

鹿港農村插秧機播秧苗-2017-02-26 - YouTube

Mature Tree harvesting can be quite profitable.

But I've never seen a machine like this before.

Jangan Heran Tiba Tiba Ada Pohon Besar di Depan Rumah, Ternyata Ini alat Memindahkan Pohon - YouTube

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Originally Posted by David48atTD

Mature Tree harvesting can be quite profitable.

But I've never seen a machine like this before.

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They are called tree spades. They can get surprisingly large.