Farming Farang Agri-Pros?

[swissie]

I realise that most questions that arise here are by "Farang-Newcomer-Farmers" somewhere in Rural-Thailand. There is certainly nothing wrong with that.

But this time around I would like to adress Farangs that came to Thailand with "Agricultural-Knowledge" as part of their "luggage". (Including knowledge of Agriculture in a tropical environement).
- Has your knowledge concerning "modern agriculture" found acceptance among Thai-Farmers?
It has been a while, but I could only convey some "modern agricuture" by convincing a Thai "of importance" beforehand. In my case the son of the village chief. A very alert university student. Without his help, my advice would have been disregarded as "Farang-Hokus-Pokus".

Not shy to say, that thanks to our combined efforts, the revenue of local Farmers, willing to "learn from a Farang Long Nose" has increased.
Wondering if educated "Farang-Agriculturists" these days still need a Thai Trailblazer to introduce Thai-Farmers to "modern-farming". Or has time stood still for the last 10 years in the Farming-Communities in Thailand?

Just curious, trying to keep up with Rural-Farming-communities at this day and age. With or without Farang agricultural "Hokus-Pokus".

[MrTrip]

What was your piece of Hocus Pocus which eventually convinced the locals to embrace?


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[IsaanAussie]

Swissie I find your comments very close to what I have found here over the last ten or twelve years. In small farming communities such as mine there are years of experience but little science and even less understanding. Right now Dai Yai (the spirit of the land) ceremonies have more to do with rice farming than anything else. 

I have asked most farmers here about their fertiliser strategy, how much NPK in kilograms per unit per rai and have not found one that can tell me. Heap on the urea to get it to grow and be green, then add more NPK before/as the rice gets "pregnant". How much? What balance? Answer more is better! 

To me the sad part is cultural. The agricultural arms of government are a vast and free resource that few people will ask for help. 

 

 

[kickstart]

I first come to Thailand to work on a dairy co-op ,trying to improve milk quality  and management ,complete with a 2 year visa and a pink ID card ,this was back in 1993 .

First problem was language ,my Thai was very basic ,it look me a year before I could explain to a dairy farmer ,that his milk quality was bad due to bad maintenance on his/hers milking machine and the fact that the ration they where  feeding was not good for milk production and the cows heath .

Most farmers where only interested in the heath of the cows and the big infertility problem they had ,any problems was due to the poor quality of the vets and AI  (artificial  insemination) men ,some truth in that ,and the fact any problem can be cured by giving the the cow an injection ,management seemed to come a poor second. 

I use to do some vet work calved a few cows trimmed a few cows feet ,Thai where to lazy to do any foot work ,hard work and no good handling felicitates,in the end I stayed on for 3 years.

It got very frustrating when you know what needs doing and some changes are only small ,but the farmer will not change his ways .

To the OP's question did I do any good did I change any thing in a nut shell no still living in the same area ,still knowing some farmers from those days they are still doing now what they did then ,still got the same problems .

 One problem is the Thai vets and extension  workers they are still giving the same advice as they did 20 years ago  and most farmers will not change they ways .

I know a Thai extension worker , now works at Khoh Khen University, she has worked in I think it was Australia  knows her stuff  and knows what should be done , still gives her annual talk at the Thai annual dairy show  about dairy farming and trying to improve the farmers lot last time we meet ,she did say ,in a nut shell it is like pushing water up hill trying to get farmers to change there ways ,I could not agree more. 

For any thing to change it has to to be a top down approach and as we know that dose not work well in Thailand . 

 

[swissie]

On 9/28/2019 at 10:43 AM, MrTrip said:

What was your piece of Hocus Pocus which eventually convinced the locals to embrace?


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My Hocus Pocus showed some good results with a handful of Hog-Farmers. I managed to convince them to produce hogs Anti-Cyclical.

= When prices are high and everybody including his uncle go into the hog-business, start to lighten up on your number of hogs. Reverse procedure if everybody sells out, claiming that the hog-business is a losing proposition.

Other forms of my Hocus Pocus were less successful (mostly not having been applied in the first place.)

[kickstart]

The pig market always has had its ups and down ,the UK use to be the same  more so in Thailand ,I think at the moment it is a falling market .

The cattle market is  the same ,we use to rear dairy heifers buy them in feed them up ,get them in calf and sell them ,on paper it should work well ,but the markets say other wise ,the times we brought at the top of the market and then sold on a falling market .

One TV member posting about his beef rearing enterprise has been quiet for a few months since the beef prices have fallen.