IsaanAussie

3 hours ago, farmerjo said:

rice in on the same land they would get more than double the money

But real baht in the hand NOW will always win out. No risk, no effort, all profit.

I am finally going to buy a rice mill for the farm. Should have done it years ago when we kept pigs. Anyway hopefully someone will clue me in if I have choosen another recipe for disaster.  I like the small cyclone on the bran chute. But what do I know? Anyhow will go down to Buri Ram and check it out for 18,500 baht.

1 hour ago, sateuk said:

you get75% compensation on what the province leader of agriculture says the pigs are worth , then wait 6 months for compensation as it has to get passed by the prime minister, your local head village man will come and bury them for you, you only get paid out for what they bury not what has died beforehand , hope this helps

Interesting, plenty of room in those steps for the game players. But that is not the point, you must know the steps and people involved and be prepared. The clear signal is do not wait if you have a problem speak up straight away. I have a friend whose whole herd was culled within 24 hours and he got nothing. 

Just now, farmerjo said:

before it gets out of hand.

Out of hand, really? How do you know how much merit you should make? Keep GO!!!

Come on you know that money has no real part in Thai culture of tamboon. It is something that farangs invented and print out on ATM machines. Real value is recorded in ledger books and records what people give at funerals, weddings, house warmings etc... how much rice, pillows and mattresses, and cash if they must. 

A farang will ask if they can borrow money, a Thai will ask if they can open your money. Ever seen a Thai close a gate behind them? 

Told you before there is a very funny book in this stuff

Just now, farmerjo said:

I'm in the wrong job....

There is a best seller book in this stuff.

After three years of poor rains finally I have a couple of full ponds. The missus says this guy wants to buy the fish for 5K baht. I say only if he puts the water back. She says, OK! 

Tonight she says she got 5,500 baht for the fish and the water......

FJ, for fruit salad sake, play the game mate! 

Lets say the electricity and cartage cost was 300 baht. I would ask my missus when her friend was going to deliver the 100 eggs (300/3) in return for her "kindness"?

You probably won't win but it will shut her up with the "black heart" comments.

3 minutes ago, farmerjo said:

I would of preferred that information on my 1st visit.

How many times have we all said that?

My current bleat is with one of the local rice millers. This guy is a friend of the BIL apparently and started milling our rice a few weeks ago. First results were good, since then large amount of broken rice in one batch and low yield (30%) from the second. Today I spat the dummy and told him to clear off. I told him I didn't want his last season rice substituted for our new stuff. I also don't need him stealing so much of the second batch. 

Of course BIL chimes in to defend his mate. OK BIL, am I wrong? I hurl at him. Head hung down he says NO!

Well KS, I can't get my head around that stuff. This wombat is knocking the BIL off worse than me. But BIL has the last word, "He will not clean rice for us again, not even if I ask nicely. YOU (me) make him loose face too much!" Oh dear, how sad, lovely boys!

17 hours ago, farmerjo said:

???? you put a smile on my face IA.

 

Good I am glad you caught the irony.

For years I have tried to explain simple economic planning and analysis of the results but I have to admit that their way (don't think too much) is better as it is easy. A bad year costs you money, why worry about it? The money is gone and ain't coming back! 

This year I purchased new seed for our land, held over seed was used on the family plots. We had a good yield, theirs not so good. But I am a nice guy so I have announced that I will use as much of our seed next year as needed. I will not buy seed. I expect to eat new season rice not the sweeping from their farms. They can then use the rest. 

The message that got through was do not sell "my rice" if you need quick money. Cash flow for next year's crop will not be supplied by me. Before they ask the answer will be MaiMee.

Just now, kickstart said:

IA that is a good yield ,the above I think they said 330-350 kg/rie,that was for Hom Malie

The best we had ran about 650 but only once after a big effort cleaning up some pretty rough land. This year much better than a bit over 200 last year. 

Between 250 and 350 is a normal here for most people who can afford minimal inputs, but it doesn't take a lot to get up to 500 plus, most of it being common sense not baht.

Big issue for Thailand and their famous Hom Mali rice is a lack of competitive development against other nations, they need to invest to catch up. Rama 9 did the hard yards but that was 30+ years ago.

4 hours ago, farmerjo said:

subsidy but no clue for the other as together around 40,000 baht. .

Stuff it me thinks, show me the BAAC passbook. Timing superb, two entries yesterday and today? Arh, that was why BIL borrowed the Ford to update the passbook today? Maybe? I thought I was told it was to get a COVID passport.

Anyway about 34,000 baht in total. What for, How, Blah blah..... For me, ATM insulation...

27 minutes ago, farmerjo said:

Well done,nice to hear.

So do all the farmers down your way save and eat hom mali as opposed to up here being sticky rice eaters.

The rice you sold IA,was the moisture 15 or under so the extra gov money gets to you.

The mrs has received two payments recently from the baac bank for rice.

The bank app she has for rice doesn't show anything other than payment,i think one would be the 15 rai subsidy but no clue for the other as together around 40,000 baht. .

 

Most grow Hom Mali a few grow a shorter variety that grows quicker. 

I don't know what the moisture level was, I didn't go to the merchant with them and the docket didn't have any detail. 

As for the rice deal, after many meetings and photocopies etc.. I decided to just fade away. In truth there is no way I would benefit from any income nor would the family listen to my opinion anyway. So I dont know, the missus will get her share if there is one to be had.

This year, money spent on machine hire was recouped. We have good seed for next year and more rice than they can eat. I am happy enough.

Rough estimate of this years Hom Mali 105 harvest. It is a bit of a guess as some was sold, the rest dried and bagged and not weighed. 

We sold 1,400 kg at 9 baht. The rest has been stored bagged as normal in 120 bags. Usually those bags go 40 kg plus, so about 4,800 kg. Total 6,200kg off 12 rai or about 500 kg per rai. Not bad and a lot better than last year. 

Just now, farmerjo said:

That Yanmar harvester is a striking look of my Kubota,they must share some knowledge in design.

I thought the same thing. Maybe one of them has invested in a 3D scanner? Or as in my day's in the auto design field, one bought a "tear down" machine to reverse engineer?

You look to have a weed seed content like we had last year. It took a while for us to find someone who could clean them out. Even then a lot of picking through the rice before cooking each day. Hope your new cleaner performs well.

Just now, kickstart said:

 How are BIL's cattle ,did he sell any on the government 4 month scheme ,not heard anything about it for some time .

Farmers realizing not a lot of money to be make ,with Lumpy Skin about the beef market has dropped a lot.

The grass looks a bit yellow ,was it water logged or short of N,that Napier on the right  looks well past it best ,not a lot of feed value.

You got me KS, well actually you got BIL. These days I just smile and nod, for me it has been a cock up. The expensive cattle have all gone and average stock added. Self trained Lumpy Skin injection man has profited from BIL. I paid for the fodder seed and since then, it exists. I have grown napier before and when the pigs didn't go for it much gave up, but at least it was green and young enough. What can I say? 

Maybe of interest, at the top of the picture above you can see the three or four fodder grasses we have been growing for the last year. Been cut regularly and fed to BIL's cattle. 

The rice is being dried as is normal. Because of the water and lodging, plus low cut height, there is a bit of dirty straw in the mix. Shouldn.t be an issue in any of the mills around here. Definitely better than all the grass seed in last years harvest.

Apparently the Chinese have banned exports. I haven't looked up the numbers but seem to remember China was the majority source. Nitrogen fixation seems like a sensible bet with rock phosphate and potash as backups. 

Rice growing is getting expensive with low prices as the reward. Farms here will have to adapt or consolidate, something has to change.

Just now, farmerjo said:

Hi IA

Nice to see an operator take their time and do a good job.

What's the cause of your lodging?

The Fil reakons farmers around here have been going away from using straight nitrogen for the 2nd dose to minimize the lodging but from what i see it's consistant with late season wet fields.

Both answers in my opinion FJ. Too much vegetative growth without enough root growth, ie. too much Urea. Combine that with poor soil with shallow cultivation, standing water above saturated top surface and all you have to add is a puff of breeze. 

I miss my 22" plough discs they did make a big difference to just planting on top of hard packed clay.

I am tempted to plant a green manure crop to get some roots into the ground while it is soft.

If the press is correct Urea price is about to go ballistic.

On 11/5/2021 at 9:24 PM, kickstart said:

We have had a few farms that grow a crop of mung beans after they crop of rice ,on heavy land that holds water they have been some fair crops of mung beans ,mung beans are about 90 day crop.

So, if it does get a bit dry, they would only need 1 or 2 lots of water .

 You might  need some more water  on Issan sand land .

A friend close by tried a mixed crop of sun hemp and mung beans plus a few others after harvest. He wanted to know if the soil moisture after rice would carry a 90 day crop. Poor results but the soil was improved after he turned the whole lot in. Plus the locals where allowed to harvest what they wanted for a short period before he dug it all over.

It is still a good thought if as you say 1 or 2 waterings are possible. 

5 hours ago, BritTim said:

there have always been special conditions associated with applying for the Non O-A.

Correct, O-A visas are sourced via overseas Thai embassies and some consulates and granted under the Ministry of Foreign affairs. O visas (3 month) were also granted by MFO external to Thailand. The O visas and extensions are granted inside Thailand by the Ministry of Internal Affairs via the Immigration department. 

Note: For an O-A retirement visa you have to show 800K baht or foreign equivalent in a bank account but not necessarily in Thailand. That visa runs you 2 years before you need to extend it. Hence, before this pandemic etc, you could stay here without any funds deposited before you needed to satisfy the local deposits necessary to obtain an extension of stay based on your visa. 

Just now, jackdd said:

400/40k, as you posted yourself already in your OP.

Yes for extensions. Not for new visas?

Does anyone know what the health insurance requirements are?