Thailand asks farmers to cut down rubber trees to boost prices

[SirBuwanaDogbossKing]

On 08/02/2018 at 7:28 PM, thaiguzzi said:

Average of 76 trees per rai. Not 100.

Either way 40 baht or 100 baht is just outrageous.

That's what happens when an agriculture dept is run by Generals. And they are not even good at being Generals, let alone govt ministers...

I assume you mean outrageously cheap, the wife's family cut down their 30 year old trees last year and got 250 baht per tree.

[thaiguzzi]

3 hours ago, SirBuwanaDogbossKing said:

I assume you mean outrageously cheap, the wife's family cut down their 30 year old trees last year and got 250 baht per tree.

Yeah. A few years ago, nay 10 years ago, rubber lumber was in such demand, you could get 30k per rai for 30 y/o trees....

[kickstart]

On 08/02/2018 at 10:08 PM, KIWIBATCH said:

..Well said.....add nectarines, peaches, apricots, feijoas...the Thailand climate is ideal for these fruits..also add kiwifruit (a.k.a Chinese gooseberries)...raspberries...boysenberries...the list goes on...but nobody does any research on these...instead they concentrate on rice and previously promoted the hell out of growing rubbers trees...and now tell the farmers to cut them down!!!!

Thailand Hub of backward numptie thinking..!!!

A good idea ,but it will not happen Thai's are just far too conservative over they food  , my local Tescos is selling Kiwi fruit, a shelf full of it , most will never be sold ,I bought some, wife took one bite, did not like it , not what she is used to.

Like a lot of things, nothing will change in Thailand.

As for growing wheat a no-go, wrong type of climate , will not grow .

[rickudon]

Quote

Products such as dwarf green beans (currently grown in Kenya for export to  the UK among other places) may be suitable. Also time to influence the Thai diet with healthier foods such as capsicums/sweet peppers to replace the boring fish/rice, meat/rice meals available. Whilst capsicums, celery etc are available, they are not widespread, the only common ones seem to be pak bung/morning glory, fried to death to remove any goodness. More wheat could also be grown, plus large scale production of insects for protein instead of meat. Nuts are produced here, but not on a large enough scale.

Unfortunately, this is exactly the amount of thinking that goes into most government ideas on what to grow. Wheat is not a suitable crop for Thailand - which is why you do not find it ...... Capsicums - may grow in the northern highlands of Thailand, but just to hot to do well in the hotter areas ( I know, i have tried), Same for French beans, except in winter (i grow these too). You CAN grow nearly anything if you try hard enough, but it has to be on commercially viable quantities. It is all down to a lack of research - both agricultural and market. I bet Pak Bong is a very reliable crop - unlike my courgettes, capsicums, spinach and radishes, which can be total failures as crops, I'm happy to get anything.

 

As for the rubber, i looked at this in 2011, when the price was high, but as i also quickly discovered with a little bit of research. it was also being planted all over SE Asia  - and would start tapping about 2014 onwards ...... just as the price started to really fall, surprise surprise. Just like everybody was planting lemon trees (limes) 3 or 4 years ago, and the price fell also (one thai brother-in-law did these, now he is replacing them with Papaya, maybe the next 'in' crop). As for insects, Thais already eat quite a few. But they are actually a bit expensive ....  maybe they would like my aphids ...... not actually easy to grow insects in bulk.

 

Rubber, cassava and now sugar cane have all been over produced (sugar cane's problem is the Thais have dropped the 'fixed' price so now prices are tumbling). not sure which crop will get the lemming treatment next!

[billd766]

On 08/02/2018 at 9:44 AM, Lungstib said:

In the north many farmers planted rubber induced by the Thaksin govt of the day which promised great profits. So they bought trees, cut weeds and only spent money for 8 years until the latex flowed. You really think they want to cut them down now? It was the spread of rubber all over the country that spurred this surplus. Now they realise something they could eat may have been better. Short term government thinking.  

 

Odd that you should mention rubbers trees in the north and north east as it triggered a vague memoty for me. I did a Google search and came up with this from 14 years ago.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/26/business/in-thailand-high-hopes-for-its-rubber-industry.html

 

 

[Thian]

On 2/8/2018 at 8:01 AM, the guest said:

Country should be looking at other high-earning cash crops, rather than giving false hopes to it's ppl.

 

Teakwood is extreme expensive these days....The wardrobe i bought for 25.000 5 years ago costs 100.000+ now from massif teak. (not plywood).