Thailand promotes cassava for ethanol production

BANGKOK: -- To promote ethanol as an alternative automobile fuel in Thailand, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry has joined with agricultural firms to encourage farmers in six provinces in the north and northeast to grow more cassava, a senior ministry official said on the weekend.

Anan Phusitthikul, secretary general of the Ministry's Agricultural Land Reform Office, said his agency had signed agreements with three private firms to encourage farmers in four northeastern and two northern provinces to grow cassava for the firms. The companies will use the products in producing ethanol.

'Contract Farming' agreements covering more than 400,000 rai of farmland in the six provinces are expected to initially join the program, Mr. Anan said.

Ethanol production by the three firms is expected to start in the first quarter of 2008, with a joint demand for not less than two million tons of cassava annually. It is estimated that each cassava grower would earn at least Bt1,500 per ton.

Under the contract farming programme, growers will be able to receive higher income because buyers are guaranteed, and the Agricultural Land Reform Office will provide low interest loans to farmers at a maximum of Bt150,000 per grower, he said.

Thailand promotes cassava for ethanol production

BANGKOK: -- To promote ethanol as an alternative automobile fuel in Thailand, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry has joined with agricultural firms to encourage farmers in six provinces in the north and northeast to grow more cassava, a senior ministry official said on the weekend.

Anan Phusitthikul, secretary general of the Ministry's Agricultural Land Reform Office, said his agency had signed agreements with three private firms to encourage farmers in four northeastern and two northern provinces to grow cassava for the firms. The companies will use the products in producing ethanol.

'Contract Farming' agreements covering more than 400,000 rai of farmland in the six provinces are expected to initially join the program, Mr. Anan said.

Ethanol production by the three firms is expected to start in the first quarter of 2008, with a joint demand for not less than two million tons of cassava annually. It is estimated that each cassava grower would earn at least Bt1,500 per ton.

Under the contract farming programme, growers will be able to receive higher income because buyers are guaranteed, and the Agricultural Land Reform Office will provide low interest loans to farmers at a maximum of Bt150,000 per grower, he said.

What is the Thai name for cassava? Are the ethanol production plants existing or are they proposed, where are/will they be located geographicaly, in terms of the growing regions? Is foreign investment involved or will it be a "family" enterprise? (°°°curious°°°).Who will profit from the development? The grower, the refiner, the seller, the end user or the Coops? How much planning has gone into this? 2M tons? Are other countries growing cassava? What about quality control?

Edited March 5, 200719 yr by dingue2rep

What is the Thai name for cassava? Are the ethanol production plants existing or are they proposed, where are/will they be located geographicaly, in terms of the growing regions? Is foreign investment involved or will it be a "family" enterprise? (°°°curious°°°).Who will profit from the development? The grower, the refiner, the seller, the end user or the Coops? How much planning has gone into this? 2M tons? Are other countries growing cassava? What about quality control?

Stop confusing a good news stoy with facts.

Are you joking??

Cassava is "man" in Thai, the Mariuana like looking plant all over Esarn.

It is also grown in South America and Africa.

Serves also for animal fodder, leaves are high percentages in Protein (although poisoness, you have to ensilage them for fodder) and the tuberoots are high in starch.

Current price 1,20 Baht per KG.

Hope for the farmers that the price goes to 2 Baht and more - but maybe its all a fake promotion, because the price was right ..... ahmmm under Mr. T

Are you joking??

Cassava is "man" in Thai, the Mariuana like looking plant all over Esarn.

It is also grown in South America and Africa.

Serves also for animal fodder, leaves are high percentages in Protein (although poisoness, you have to ensilage them for fodder) and the tuberoots are high in starch.

Current price 1,20 Baht per KG.

Hope for the farmers that the price goes to 2 Baht and more - but maybe its all a fake promotion, because the price was right ..... ahmmm under Mr. T

Up here in Khampaeng Phet the price this week is 1350 baht per ton. It has been as high as 1400 and as low as 950 per ton depending on the amount and time it was harvested.

You usually rent a team who top the plant, and cut the stems off, a tractor to plough it up, the same team to collect the crop and chop the clumps into individual cassava, and a guy with a kwai lek and trailer or a kwai lek truck to take it to the collection point where it is weighed.

It is a dirty, hard labour intensive crop to plant and harvest but it has th advantage of not needing much water once it is growing and if the price is very low you can leave it in the ground for another year without problems.

plugging with a Tractor, how far you are ahead.

Have you seen the steelbar with the forklike hook wich they use to pull the stuff out, plant per plant. Hard work indeed.

What is the Thai name for cassava? Are the ethanol production plants existing or are they proposed, where are/will they be located geographicaly, in terms of the growing regions? Is foreign investment involved or will it be a "family" enterprise? (°°°curious°°°).Who will profit from the development? The grower, the refiner, the seller, the end user or the Coops? How much planning has gone into this? 2M tons? Are other countries growing cassava? What about quality control?

Stop confusing a good news stoy with facts.

Sorry, don't know a good story when I see one I suppose . Perhaps a lower fuel price stoy oops... story would be a better one. Anyway, was just curious, so thanks to other members' more informative responses. At least I get a better idea of cassava. Next time I will just use the search engine to get the full stoy oops... facts