They introduced zoning but forgot to consider what area is suitable for which crop.

may be introduce this as a biological pest exterminator,only problem is it will kill everything including wildlife  soi dogs,snakes and a lot more. the cane toad,australia introduced this the cane fields in the 1930's as a biological answer to pests in the cane and it is now impossible to get rid of it killed everything except what it was supposed to.

Does Cuba circa late 1950's ring any bells about sugar cane ?    The ensuing wars within Latin America devastated whole nations and farming practices as each country tried to change, or had to change their old traditions, to suit the barons / presidents of various outside countries.

 

Cassava and sugar cane make ideal rotational crops, an increase in production of one often leads to an increase in the other.

Cassava, we along with livestock can eat the other, sugar we don't need to eat at all.

Both can be used for ethanol production.

 

It's a pity they don't grow the yellow cassava as seen in South America and elsewhere, it's delicious.

Does Cuba circa late 1950's ring any bells about sugar cane ?    The ensuing wars within Latin America devastated whole nations and farming practices as each country tried to change, or had to change their old traditions, to suit the barons / presidents of various outside countries.

 

Cassava and sugar cane make ideal rotational crops, an increase in production of one often leads to an increase in the other.

Cassava, we along with livestock can eat the other, sugar we don't need to eat at all.

Both can be used for ethanol production.

 

It's a pity they don't grow the yellow cassava as seen in South America and elsewhere, it's delicious.

Thais are very resistant eating other carbs than the odd rice.

Most of them can be grown here more or less commercially:

 

Potatoes

Sweet cassava (I think this is what you call yellow cassava)

Sweet potato

Yam

Taro

Millet

Corn for flour

Cooking banana

19 hours ago, grollies said:

The main reason for the burning is to drive out snakes before the workers go in to harvest...or so my missus says.

Yep, but the main reason is it's less scratchy - itchy to work with once inside.

As someone else pointed out, its easier to process and chop down, but you are losing approx. 10% in weight.

Yep, but the main reason is it's less scratchy - itchy to work with once inside.
As someone else pointed out, its easier to process and chop down, but you are losing approx. 10% in weight.

Once they use mechanical harvesters the issue of burning should be minimised.

The investment for such a beast is massive though. I saw one from Case-IH at a machinery fair for I think it was 4 Million Baht or even more.

13 hours ago, CLW said:

Once they use mechanical harvesters the issue of burning should be minimised.

The investment for such a beast is massive though. I saw one from Case-IH at a machinery fair for I think it was 4 Million Baht or even more.

Seen them at work just south of Khon Kaen last year, they seem to do a good job of cutting.

The price may seem steep but perhaps they will be rented out, driver included, just as they did with tractors many years ago.      Farmers within an area having their fields cut at the same time to reduce costs.

At least harvesters won't need all the highly sophisticated closed environment cabs as required by law in some EU countries.

Edited June 27, 20188 yr by Speedo1968
spelling error

13 hours ago, CLW said:

Once they use mechanical harvesters the issue of burning should be minimised.

The investment for such a beast is massive though. I saw one from Case-IH at a machinery fair for I think it was 4 Million Baht or even more.

4 million would buy a lot of labourers from Burma and Cambodia.... 

1 hour ago, Speedo1968 said:

Seen them at work just south of Khon Kaen last year, they seem to do a good job of cutting.

The price may seem steep but perhaps they will be rented out, driver included, just as they did with tractors many years ago.      Farmers within an area having their fields cut at the same time to reduce costs.

At least harvesters won't need all the highly sophisticated closed environment cabs as required by law in some EU countries.

Yeah KK and surrounding areas seem like Sugar Cane Central.

10 minutes ago, thaiguzzi said:

Yeah KK and surrounding areas seem like Sugar Cane Central.

CP have a new animal feedmill south of KK, areas of land put down to cassava and sugarcane started to appear as soon as construction of the mill started.     Possibly the lands were bought up by CP.      No doubt the area will spread and put up land prices.

Not sure where the local sugarcane factories are though as I live 50km south of KK.

Cassava waste is often fed to pigs; even pickup loads can be collected.

Bagasse , the waste from sugar cane has multiple uses, no idea how Thailand uses it though.  The web link below regarding bagasse may be of interest regarding the pros and cons of growing sugarcane.

 

https://phys.org/news/2016-11-alternate-sugarcane.html