IsaanAussie

Hello guys. I want to ask you something. My father had a ford 5000 but unfortunatelly he passed away recently. I want to sell this tractor but i do not know where to place an ad . Can you give me a website that is known among the farmers ? Thank You I tryed on smaler sites but no success.

Is there anyone who can help me with this ? In dept Victor.

How much do you want for the tractor? What implements do you have to go with it?

Thanks for reply Scot,

I know nothing about rice harvesters [ but have a good eye and ear for all powered machines] so your info is valuable to prospective buyers,

There is something i forgot to ask the vendor, what is the PTO output on the back RH corner for?,,,

Could you help IssanAussie in his post above, ive no idea,

Thanks, Lickey.

Thanks Lickey, apparently we have a similar mechanical engineering background.

I would bet the PTO is for things like grain elevators or even a baler for the straw.

In my case it is difficult to justify a harvester just for a single rice crop per year and our limited land. There are now several contractors around (pnustedt is one in my area) who will get my business. At the current rates it will be cheaper than employing labour to hand cut, tie and stack, then thrash as is the traditional method.

I could get interested if I could use it to harvest other cereals and oil seed crops as well.

Isaanaussie

Hi folks,

Correct, it wouldn't be a very good investment if you only have one harvest / year. We contract the services out, haul around by a 4wd pickup the Kubota DC-60 harvesters and do a complete area for a few days then move on. They weigh only 2,450 kg., don't damage the land, rice loss of no more than 5%. The PTO is just as what you said it COULD be used for (plus whatever else one could use it for) a conveyor track to a towed storage truck on large tracks of rice land. Whereas the massive Thai-made harvesters are slightly faster BUT: are too heavy (damage the land (= more cost to the land owner to re-grade it)), lose up to 20% of rice(not an efficient vaccuum system), and require a 6 wheeler truck to tow it around (lots more fuel costs)...

I was in Rangsit today on the continuing quest for a tractor and for those of you who are looking for cheap harvesters there are currently at least ten pre-loved units on offer. Small to huge, take your pick from them as they all will need more than a bit of TLC to get going. Still if you are in the market go take a look.

To add my sixpence worth of philosophy. Self sufficiency is merely learning to rely on yourself and what you are capable of making happen. It does mean you have to live without financial transactions, or having to manufacture 100% of everything you use or consume. Barter trade and sale of produce are as old as humanity.

When you are in control of your life and are enjoying it, then you are truly self-sufficient.

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My wife decided to farm potatoes this year instead of rice.

In the past she would deliver the harvested rice to the mill down the road and get paid for the product.

She has no idea where to sell the potatoes.

Anyone know where in Ubon Ratchathani Province (near Ubon city preferabaly) a farmer can sell potatoes?

Any potatoe chip processors or something similiar that uses potatoes in their operation (near Ubon

This is the post KDC put on the issan forum, it seems to me that she does mean euro potatoes, not cassava, I have never seen cassava grown in ex-paddies in my area, or potatoes come to that, im sure you experienced farmers will come to the rescue of the OP.

Rgds Lickey.

Makro in Sisaket buy local produce. Try talking to the major supermarkets in your area. On the production side, I would be very interested in the results if these potatoes are growing in paddy fields. They could be a great help to breakup panning on the subsoil.

Hi Eric,

I'm new to TV, but couldn't help noticing this thread and wondering how it all went. So, did you decide on moving forward with the farm?

I work in a veterinary pharmaceutical company, and despite what some people have said in this thread (I haven't read all), pig farming does make profit if you do it properly. They are rich silently. Although, I must say that the pork situation during these few months haven't been too good due to the increases in feed costs.

If you have already started, I'd be interested in learning how you are getting along. From this thread, seems like there's quite a number of farangs farming out there

Hello M77 and all otehr TV members.

I haven't posted for a quite some time; been too busy setting-up the pig farm with the wife and in-laws. I've just returned from a 50 day 'vacation' to Thailand(wish it was!), and back to the land of OIL!

Well, there have been quite a few developments since I last posted, so I'll try and convey them to you.

First of all, we are in the process of constructing a large 16 unit (40m x 5m x 3m) piggery on 3 rais of land. We've had 4 concrete-encased wells/holes dug to trap the pig effluents, wich are each connected by PVC pipes to run-off via electric pumps to our fruit farm.

The work is about 70% complete and should be completed within the next month or so.

The wife and I went scouring the local countryside for piglets to order; quite scares in these parts. But we did manage to get some good contacts at the Suranaree University Industrial farm. So, fingers-crossed we'll be up and running within the next month or so.

We've also started mushroom farming! We managed to find a source locally and ordered 5,000 mushroom 'bottles', which were delivered 2 days ago. The mushroom 'house' we had constructed is 4m x 4m x 2m. we plan on procuding about 10 kilos of mushrooms daily, generating about Bht 1,000 daily. We have a buyer/agent who comes early mornings to harvest the mushrooms and takes them to market. Depending on how well things go with the mushroom farm, we intend to expand and build several more mushroom 'houses'.

The wife is now taking hands-on training classes in pig-rearing at the University, and I'm doing my bit here in the land of oil, generating more cash for when I next return to early 2009.

Cheers to all.

I assume you are running a slatted floor system? Do you have a biodigester or two in your plan? Are you running a batching system, and if so what are the periods? Noisey bugger me. But I am planning a much smaller 8-16 sow system and need all the reassurance my slender budget calls for.

Isaanaussie

Soundman, any idea on the cost of the post hole digger you found? Thanks

Not near my office today, however, from memory I was quoted 27500B -40% = 16500B for the 1.8hp model including 1 x 20cm 1m drill.

Extra drill bit was 6000b - 40% = 3600B.

Intend to buy this unit early next week. Then I can report on how good it actually is or isn't.

Cheers.

Thats good buying mate, that model retails at $1000 in NZ which is about 25,500 Baht.

Oleo-Mac used to sell a top of the range twin deck ride on mower in Oz,it was a good machine.

Anyone have a tractor 3 point linkage mounted unit? I am about to start looking and would appreciate comments

but if you go for the Kubota I have a suitable trailer for sale.

Have you set a price on the trailer yet? Perhaps you could send me some details (dimensions, weight etc..) Will be back in Sisaket next week and hope to catch up.

Isaanaussie

Does any know the current situation with the price of pork ( producers selling price ) any comments as to the current prices and

forecasts for the future would be most welcome . Thanks

Last I heard, the official price was 65 baht live weight.

Isaanaussie

Thanks for reply Scot,

I know nothing about rice harvesters [ but have a good eye and ear for all powered machines] so your info is valuable to prospective buyers,

There is something i forgot to ask the vendor, what is the PTO output on the back RH corner for?,,,

Could you help IssanAussie in his post above, ive no idea,

Thanks, Lickey.

Thanks Lickey, apparently we have a similar mechanical engineering background.

I would bet the PTO is for things like grain elevators or even a baler for the straw.

In my case it is difficult to justify a harvester just for a single rice crop per year and our limited land. There are now several contractors around (pnustedt is one in my area) who will get my business. At the current rates it will be cheaper than employing labour to hand cut, tie and stack, then thrash as is the traditional method.

I could get interested if I could use it to harvest other cereals and oil seed crops as well.

Isaanaussie

Hmmm... my reply didn't show up the first time.....

I bought a new Kubota last year and have ordered a second one already. Could you send me some pics and the model please? Thanks in advance. P.S. - I have the largest Kubotas made.

scotbeve, sorry for the delay, the machine was under offer but the deal fell through, anyway, its a Kubota, made in Japan, its got 501 hours on the clock and i believe belonged to a contractor, the 4 cyl engine sounds sweet as a nut and no apparant oil leaks, the coolant is clean, same as the engine oil, price is 390,000bht, and apparantley will do 2.5 rai in 1 hour, it looks like its been looked after, grease nipples have grease on them and some grease ouzing out where it should, ok, enjoy the pics, and i think he has some more [bigger and smaller] machines coming up soon, Cheers, Lickey.

I looked at a new machine very similar in Rangsit last week. Baht 800,000. The one you have shown looks like a good deal. I have two questions for anyone who can help:

I seem to recall that these machines have an issue with rice that has lodged, is that correct?

Can this type of harvester be used for other crops such as oil seeds? I asked the dealer but was told "it's a rice harvester!"

Regards

Isaanaussie

^ Really a good idea those coconut fibers, will use them for sure, and give it a try. Plenty of coconuts around here. Good to have pictures from a tried and successfull project. Thanks.

Mellow,

A word of caution on impeding the water flow with the coco filter. My thought was, to be effective as a filter the finer the fibres the better (more fibres - more surface area), but the ones we used had some quite large sticks and was open in areas. You have to strike a balance in the density and use fibrous materials to which the proverbial <deleted> will stick as well as the finer stuff that appears more to block the particles.

Isaanaussie

The coconut husk ( or only fiber?) idea sounds great for the suspended particles. I will have a cement ditch which will run from the settling tank to the pumps, which feed the biofilter, I will try out a few of these filters in there. How long do they last? Is the filter made just out of the fibers or is it sections of the of the coconut? I suppose putting them in slotted plastic containers(basket) would make a filter? More info would be great, maybe a couple of pictures.. Always looking to cut down on labor.

They have small inexpensive mud pumps, you could use to clean out your sediment with. You have an interesting set up would be nice to see it. I'm in Isaan also, but have no clue where Wat Phia Rong Wua is.

Mellow,

Wat Phia is actually on the southern border of Suphan Buri. We are moving to Sisaket soon.

The coconut filter unit was in Indonesia a few years back now, and the pebble filter was in Nonthaburi. I may have a non-digital picture or two of the latter and will have a look around.

The fibres in the coconut filter were an assortment and they were bundled together with sticks and wire into a mat about two inches thick which was trimmed to fit the tank. I have no idea where my gardener got them from but they lasted for over a year and were lifted out and washed out with a hose periodically.

Here you might try roof thatching panels which you can buy for about 3 baht each. As the material is tied onto a stick of bamboo you could use that to suspend them across the flow. They should give you plenty of surface area to catch suspended solids assuming that the rate of fllow is not too quick.

Khonwan and all,

I am interested in cassava as a feed for pigs. It is cut into slices and sun dried, stored and then ground for incorporation in the feed. At the costs per kilo discussed here it would be viable as a feed. I have not got enough land on which to grow it currently anyway.

I believe it is also sliced prior to ethanol processing. It there any source of buying cassava sliced and dried?

Isaanaussie

Hi Isaanaussie

You ought to be able to find local farmers drying out chopped cassava. They will happily sell to you direct. Find out how much the local cassava processors are paying for dried cassava (usually just over double the fresh tuber price). Offer the farmer the same price - he'll be keen to sell to you at the same price since he avoids the transport costs (assuming you collect yourself).

Try to get cassava chips (mansen) that are drying on concrete rather than compacted soil since it will obviously contain less soil.

Cassava root is very high in energy but very low in protein (no more than 2%). Chop and sun-dry (2-3 days to remove cyanide) the tree part of the plant for an excellent high protein for your pigs. The leaves are typically 25% protein, petioles 20%, stems 17%. You will probably be able to collect these for free after cassava farmers harvest their trees (the branches, petioles and leaves are just left in the fields) though a wiser farmer would charge you since this waste should be ploughed in to return nutrients to the soil.

Rgds

Khonwan

As always a valuable response thanks very much. As you point out it is the energy and not the protein I am chasing. Must admit that buying raw tubers is still attractive and I had not considered the stover component especially the leaves.

Isaanaussie

Guys,

I would add a word of caution here. Anyone can file a complaint with the BIB here. These must be acted on and an arrest made with investigations often to follow. However you handle these situations please keep that in mind and always balance risk against what may be just a nuisance cost.

I dislike corruption as much as the next man but try to view things in local terms. Surely buying lunch or a "cup of tea" for a policeman in apology for some minor traffic offence is a lot easier than a trip to the station, a lengthy wait and larger fine. Sure it wrankles but you learn to live with it.

The smaller the target, the less often it gets hit.

(from under my rock)

Isaanaussie

pnustedt; Your combine is cutting into the local village economy in that the labor contractor who furnish people for cutting and thrashing are denied a potential market. After watching the village farm operation for a few years I have come to the conclusion that the farmers, who make virtually no profit, support the local unemployeed drinkers and their womenfolk by hiring both to do the work where large numbers of labor is required, through a labor contractor. The labor contractor, in several cases I have observed, is the fellow/family who loaned money to plant, furnished fertilizer and will receive the crop for wholesale price. If rice were broadcast instead of being hand planted one group of laborers would be eliminated, small wonder the (fellow/family) tell the farmer broadcasting is bad. Your combine operation is fairly new in Thailand and requires much more investment than the labor business which is now not avaliable, so a tax is collected. Who retains the monies from this tax? I would venture that the tax is equal to about the profit the (fellow/family) made on labor, plus a nuisance charge. I always throught of mafia as having far reaching connections, whereas what I have observed seems to be fairly local.

Agree absolutely. The local Thai "bar-flies" are a particular nuisance in most villages. Every time we go upcountry they descend on my wife and I looking for a handout. The message must go out that the Wallet is back. I can only imagine the problem that these disaffected guys make for the poo yai ban every day of the week.

If I have need of labour I try to get our poo yai to organise it. The simple instruction is I don't want anyone to get hurt, so, no-one who is drunk today. It works well in the closed village environment but I appreciate that for a contractor just passing through, it may not apply.

Whatever tactic you use, you have to get them on side. Their game, their rules.......... Perhaps it is as simple as supplying a few jobs loading bags of rice after the harvester is done. The crew moves on quicker, locals happy..

Khonwan and all,

I am interested in cassava as a feed for pigs. It is cut into slices and sun dried, stored and then ground for incorporation in the feed. At the costs per kilo discussed here it would be viable as a feed. I have not got enough land on which to grow it currently anyway.

I believe it is also sliced prior to ethanol processing. It there any source of buying cassava sliced and dried?

Isaanaussie

Can you elaborate on how obstructive these organizations are? Are you talking about the local poo yai ban or someone/something else?

The local poo yai ban imposed a tax on combine harvesters of Bt2,000 pa (we have two) and after we paid stated that this was for the village only, other villages may charge too. This made it impossible for us to operate as we work in many villages and it is not known precisely where the borders beween them are. We complained at the amphur but didn't get a satisfactory response. We later found that we were the only ones who paid the "tax" and that the local rubbish collector (an old lady who collected bottles, etc. for recycling) was going to be charged a tax of Bt1,000 pa whereas she would be lucky to make a few hundred. They subsequently dropped this tax after the old lady stopped collecting the rubbish.

We appointed solicitors to take legal action against both the oberdour (poo yai ban) and the amphur. Our silicitor advises us that there is no legal basis for the tax.

We have never had any problems with the "mafia" but there has been talk of steel rods being placed in the rice paddies to sabotage our machines and various other threats of vandalism if we did not co-operate by adopting higher prices. We also camp out with the machines and, at times, collect large sums of cash, worries have been expressed that I (or my wife) could be kidnap targets. At times we are not far from the Cambodian border.

Mate,

Maybe time to drop your tag line, and "Pen Rai" a bit more. Still, hang in there because I am counting on you to harvest our rice this year. Maybe a visit to the poo yai ban prior to harvesting could cement relationships a bit, amazing what a bottle and a farang smile can do at times.

I'm getting ready to built a Recirculating Aquaculture System. I'm working on the plans, and have visited and talked with Tilapia who has a great set up. I was wondering if any of you, who have built tanks, have used a system where you have 2 Stand Pipes in the tank. One for recirculating the water, the other to flush the heavy effluent out of the system completely, and therefore never letting it get to the filtering system. I have seen documents where they have a Dual Stand Pipe System, but it was a large diameter stand pipe with a smaller one inside of it. Complicated and looked like a lot of trouble to make. I'm thinking of a second Stand Pipe which directly flushes out of the system,leaving the other one to recirculate the water, and take the smaller suspended particles to be dealt with by the filtering system. It seem if this is done, it will greatly ease the load to be filtered, and I would be able to get a much better water quality. I will be building circular tanks.

Hi Mellow,

Can't help with the stand pipes but suggest a low cost alternate I have used before in a circular tank. It involved using a vertical baffle grease pit in the base of the tank prior to the pump. This caught most of the heavy sediments and was cleaned out by hand. Any sludge on the bottom was sweep into the pit. The water was then pumped onto pads of coconut fibre in a seperate tank to filter more of the large particles. These pads could be lifted out and washed or replaced. In my case a stack of two coco-filters was sufficient to clean the water. This filter was deep enough and large enough to allow fine sediment to settle with the clean water been drawn from behind a final vertical baffle at the far end of this settling tank.

In future I would add a few valves and use the pump to sump out the grease pit to waste to avoid having to remove the cover in the tank base to clean it out so often.

More recently I made up a pebble filter onto which the water from the tank was cascaded. The water was then drawn from the bottom of that box through a set of vertical baffles (up and over, down and under, etc..) and into the pump box. Periodically the pebbles can be removed and cleaned. A drain cock in base of both pebble and baffle boxes allowed muck to be drained out.

... As I understand it this is only approved for Rot Thai and other single cylinder engines such as pumps, not for tractors or vehicles ...

I'm following this thread with interest. One correction though: 'rot tai' (plough) is Thai for 'tractor' (all sizes). I've no idea what the Thai government allows in this respect but have read that jatropha oil is a suitable fuel for tractors.

Rgds

Khonwan

Thanks for the correction on tractor terminology. The scheme I was describing is specifically designed to assist small community based refining for agricultural fuel purposes. Self-sufficiency and rising fuel costs for the rural community objectives. As I understand it, the fuel can only be used in single cylinder four stroke diesels at this stage. Not in multi-cylinder engines.

Jatropha oil has a high energy level and makes great biodiesel. It is the backbone of the Indian scheme as the plants grow in very low rainfall areas in poor soil, animals do not forage on them and they are easy to establish. The Thai government lists it as second priority to palm oil. I suppose not being a food source for humans or animals it will quell the food or fuel debate if grown on non-viable locations.

If you wish to convert any vegetable oil, virgin or used, or even animal fats it can be done on farm. The process is relatively easy and the equipment can be made at home. However it involves the use of methanol which can be explosive and produces glycerin as a byproduct.

Regardless of the feedstock, the devil is in the detail. The oil yield from most oil seeds is maximised when the seed is heated before pressing and the oil must be preheated for the transesterfication process to complete. Methanol sources must be found (ratio 20%), it must be stored safely and as much as possible be recovered from the process on completion to control costs.

A friend has an old Lister type single cylinder. He starts it on kerosene or other light petroleum product and then pours in almost anything he has. Great way to get rid of the sump oil etc.. Point is with very simple engine technology like that. the motor will burn anything.....

Rudolph Diesels first engine ran on peanut oil.

Perhaps solar panels are a bit too complex to be fixed in Isaan? Most tool boxes contain a hammer and a bent nail. But black hose and a bit of glass makes a hot water heater and can be run with syphoned water!

Thanks that was very interesting, wonder if it might be a good application to use for water pumps and create irragation from ground water. Depending on the cost electricity, might serve well for fish or an addtional crop of rice for he year.

I'm still most amazed by growing algae for fuel.

I think the key is to create a bio fuel without disrupting the food supply. The Byproduct of algae serves as feed for animals.

All of these thing I believe have down sides one I can see with algae you obvioulsy need a good water supply.

There is alrady solar available for pumps, but I have no idea waht the costs fo purchased would be, my best guess at this point it would be expensive.

There is a plans for resoviors in the Issan area under consideration with an idea to increase crop production. Lao is already finding out that ther even downsides to local communities for Hydro power. Two things for sure people got to eat and we need energy.

I'm not a framer but find this to be very interesting

Ray,

Most locals near us use the two wheel tractor is a pwoer source for everything. Belt driven water pumps both centifugal pumps for higher pressures and lifts and screw pumps for volume moving out of rivers and klongs. Biodiesel or even straight vegetable oil can be used. I could convert my Ford Ranger to run on straight vegie oil by replaced a few parts. Obvious problem is then supply when off-farm, cooking oil is 46 Baht and up if I were to refuel at Tescos.

We have a new reservior in the village. It was made by cleaning out and enlarging a nature swampy area of wetlands. Is that the current scheme?

What caught mny eye on this is that a Framer in Florida has ren moved his citrus groves to grow his. That may very well be a mistake. But here in Issan we have many area becuase of the slopes ect and no terracing, this could be suitable crop for that and not interfer with food production, Doesn't seem to need a lot water.

Those land would probably be a lot cheaper then good rice land.

But Thought I would kick it out there for you guys who know what you are doing.

Ray,

The Thai Government has a scheme running to produce community biodiesel for use in simple agricultural machines. This is seperate from the main stream oil company based biodiesel and ethanol projects. As I understand it this is only approved for Rot Thai and other single cylinder engines such as pumps, not for tractors or vehicles and has to contain a purple dye.

Farmers are offered a flat rate for the Jatropha seed and the last costs I got (Mar 08) were 14baht per kg for the seed and conversion cost of about 4-5 baht per litre. A Wat in Suphan Buri is one site out of some 60 that have been government supplied with methanol conversion plants. There were about 30 registered "refiners" in village groups and some individuals.

If you have the seed then you should be able to get someone to produce your product for under 10 baht per litre. The question is if you can actually use it legally, obviously anything is possible in LOS. There is a fair chance the dye may run out in the village or the resultant engine staining fail to be recognised.

What should be remembered is these refining units are limited in capacity per day if your aim is to produce good quality fuel. Commercially made units will take 3 to 5 days to produce a batch of 150 -200 litres if the methanol & lye reation with the oil is allowed to completely finish and the subsequent washing is done thoroughly.

If you want to produce faster then that you need more reaction vessels. So you heat the oil in one unit, plumb that into the first reactor and wait for that batch to process, heat more oil and transfer to further reactors. As the batches are ready they are piped into the washing vessel through the filters and into the tank.

I think the real answer for my part of Isaan (Sisaket) could lie in sunflower seeds and peanuts. These are traditional second crops and have a convenient short growing season after the rice when spare water may still be available. I say this because the only uses for Jatropha byproduct are charcoal making and soap, whereas both peanut and sunflower stover and cake can feed animals.

Jatropha is a main stream target crop for the Thai government and planned for Isaan in particular. In the future it will increase in market share. The next main goal for useage in with the introduction of Euro 4 regulations which is set to coincide with the next fully new pickups in 2012. That is a date set by the car companies and is unlikely to change as it represents a large investment in R&D (particulate filters etc). Further if the sulphur level in the current fuel is not reduced, then no vehicle will achieve Euro 4.

Until then remember, Jatropha is tree and not an annual crop and hence represents an unknown investment return supported currently by little infrastructure. Many things can happen over the next few years and other sources or veg oil are better understood by local farmers.

On a positive finish, I believe that if Jatropha were planted on the bunds on the paddies and along the roadsides, the yield would be about 1 litre of oil per 15 metres of hedgerow. Go figure the number of kilometres of paddy wall in your area and do the maths.

I would love to hear from anyone who is interested in growing sunflowers, peanuts or other oil seed crops for biodiesel/feed outcomes. Oil presses and biodiesel units ROI depends on volume as do all things. PM me if you are interested.

Very interesting article. May be worth planting some even if just for personal use.

Current estimates show a yield of 1.1 litres/Rai/day, a small personal use figure. There are also issues with the poisonous nature of the nuts and I have read that it can cause cancer. One advantage is the oil can be used in simple diesel engines (Rot Thai) at very high proportions without refinement.

Correction to previous post

If you are thinking of buying land then look at the cost of redeveloping as well as buying cleared land. If your yield can be increased by 50 to 100 bags as ours was then the clearing costs can be recouped quickly. In my example at todays prices (PN's 16Baht/kg) 50 bags at 45Kgs/bag is 36,000Baht difference per rai.

Sorry about that, wish it was that good. I meant for the block of 12 Rai. That is 3,000 baht per rai difference in purchase price can be recouped in a single crop.

I'm looking for something to use as a rough guide but broken down into stages: preparation, seed & planting, fertilizing, harvesting. Any help would be much appreciated.

Most rice is already sewn in Surin so time is getting a bit short for this year's harvest. Immediately the ground needs to be cleared (usually with a chemical weedkiller), the rice sewn and ploughed in a week later. Ploughing is about Bt250/rai, total weedkiller say Bt2,500, not sure about rice seed (if it is needed or use last year's crop) say Bt4,000 plus starter fertilizer, say another Bt4,000. Immediate outlay, say Bt16,500.

Fertiliser will be needed in October, say Bt20,000 at today's prices, plus herbicide, say Bt2,000.

Harvest by machine in November, expect cost in excess of Bt700/rai, say Bt16,800. Total outlay to date on the 24 rai say Bt54,500.

Income in November (assuming farm gate price of rice at Bt16/kilo) say Bt90,000.

Obviously there are a lot of variables, not least dependancy on the weather, soil conditions and market prices. Corners can cut, e.g. use less or cheaper fertilisers, harvest by hand, etc. but yields may be less as a result. Note that if the price of rice drops to last years' level (about Bt9/kilo) you would make a loss!

PN,

Firstly thanks for all you help last week.

I agree with your calculations and note that the yield would be about 400Kgs per rai. Not bad. We get about 450 Kgs off "good" land but only 300-350 of what I call rough land.

For anyone looking to start off, ask two simple questions. How many rai? and How many bags of rice? From this calculate income by assuming between 45-50 kg per bag. Thais I talk to do not understand tonnages. Look at the land, if it has tree covered mounds and the paddy walls are not in good shape, the yield will be down. Rice doesn't grow well under trees. Uneven land, poor water distribution, low yield. Broken walls, fertiliser gone downstream.

We have a 12 Rai block which I call "good" land. It was valued at 20,000 per rai when we got it (2002) and it was rough. We removed over 100 trees (wood sawn to housing type sizes) cost 7,500 Baht. The mounds flattened out and earth walls repaired 75,000 Baht.

If you are thinking of buying land then look at the cost of redeveloping as well as buying cleared land. If your yield can be increased by 50 to 100 bags as ours was then the clearing costs can be recouped quickly. In my example at todays prices (PN's 16Baht/kg) 50 bags at 45Kgs/bag is 36,000Baht difference per rai.

Another advantage of clearing is you can include ponds which will let you grow fish and water second and third crops. For those looking at biodiesel, sunflowers and other oil crops can be grown outside rice season if you have the water. From my research sunflowers should yield 125 Litres per Rai.