Unleash the ducks! Thai drought worries threaten farming tradition

[webfact]

Unleash the ducks! Thai drought worries threaten farming tradition

By Prapan Chankaew

 

FILE PHOTO: Ducks feed on a rice field outside Bangkok, Thailand, May 2, 2020. REUTERS/Matthew Tostevin

 

NAKHON PATHOM, Thailand (Reuters) - After harvesting the rice crop in this part of central Thailand, a flock of around 10,000 ducks is released from a pen and instinctively stream towards the flooded fields to devour pests such as snails hiding in the rice stubble.

 

This way of raising ducks in rice-growing areas has long been a tradition in the area and other parts of the region. Thais call it "ped lai thoong", which means "field chasing ducks".

 

The Khaki Campbell ducks, a British breed, are brought to the fields after 20 days in nursery and will be raised on the move for the next few months.

After roaming free for about five months, they are returned to the farm to produce eggs for up to three years.

 

"The benefit (for the breeder) is that we reduce costs to feed the ducks," said Apiwat Chalermklin, 34, a breeder who took over the business from his father.

 

"And in return, for the rice farmer the ducks help eat pests from the farm and the farmers can reduce the use of chemicals and pesticides.” 

 

On Sunday, Apiwat's ducks appear to be finding plenty of pests such as snails and insects to feed on during their field-cleaning job that he expects to last a week in this 15 acre (67 hectares) farm.

 

Apiwat has four flocks of ducks that move around different rice fields in Nakhon Pathom province where farmers typically cultivate three rice crops every year.

 

"They help eat golden apple snails and remains of unwanted rice husks that drop into the field from last harvest. The ducks also step on the rice stubble to flatten the ground and make it easier to plough," said farmer Prang Sipipat.

 

For now, farmers say the system works well for both the duck raiser and rice grower, but even though there has not been drought in Nakhon Pathom they are worried about the threat.

 

Thailand, which is the world's second-biggest rice exporter, faces a prolonged drought affecting many growing areas this year. 

 

(Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Stephen Coates)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-09-15

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[JoePai]

Brilliant, a win win

[AgentSmith]

There is a very practical solution yet one that won't be easily accepted in Asia: swap rice with potatoes. Potatoes need much less water to grow, are much less labor intensive and store more energy per square meter of cultivated land. I for one much prefer rice over boiled potatoes as a main carb intake but with this changing climate and ever growing number of people Asia might not have a choice in the long run. And while Thailand won't have a shortage to feed its own people (they export it so they're in it for the money) other countries such as Indonesia heavily depend on import and they're probably the first to change their habits out of pure necessity. Indo rice paddies already produce quite a number of other crops every year. Potatoes aren't such a bad idea. There are plenty of varieties and then we could finally have proper potatoes for fries in the stores here. ????

[CGW]

5 minutes ago, AgentSmith said:

There is a very practical solution yet one that won't be easily accepted in Asia: swap rice with potatoes. Potatoes need much less water to grow, are much less labor intensive and store more energy per square meter of cultivated land. 

One small problem with Potatoes! they don't like heat so won't grow in the "soil" here! - Next suggestion?

Yes, - I know they do grow in the cool areas in the winter season, but what about a summer crop? problem is rice paddies are worthless, without huge investment for anything apart from - Rice!

[baansgr]

Drought....it's rained almost every day for 3 months and not even rainy season yet...

[worgeordie]

12 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Drought....it's rained almost every day for 3 months and not even rainy season yet...

Where are you ?, here in Chiang Mai, it has not rained anywhere like

it should have been,and in few weeks rainy season will be over.

regards Worgeordie

[CGW]

17 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Drought....it's rained almost every day for 3 months and not even rainy season yet...

Had very little rain West of Udon, reservoirs are already at dry season low levels, rainfall down at least 50% this year! Need a good storm - still time ????

[AgentSmith]

45 minutes ago, CGW said:

One small problem with Potatoes! they don't like heat so won't grow in the "soil" here! - Next suggestion?

Yes, - I know they do grow in the cool areas in the winter season, but what about a summer crop? problem is rice paddies are worthless, without huge investment for anything apart from - Rice!

Potatoes grow well in soil temperatures up to 25 C. There are probably plenty of northern regions in Thailand that are fine for potato production. In time they might also be able to create new varieties that tolerate higher temperatures. If they can bump it up to 30 C potatoes could potentially be grown everywhere.

[CGW]

10 minutes ago, AgentSmith said:

Potatoes grow well in soil temperatures up to 25 C. There are probably plenty of northern regions in Thailand that are fine for potato production. In time they might also be able to create new varieties that tolerate higher temperatures. If they can bump it up to 30 C potatoes could potentially be grown everywhere.

I have looked into this quite extensively, your making a few suppositions, how would you "bump it up to 30°c" you need money to invest for "probably" not a lot of that available to struggling farmers.

We grow a small crop of potatoes here in the NE in the winter season, (after a lot of soil preparation), its a cold weather crop, doesn't like the heat and needs good drainage, the spuds that are grown here are grown in the North, not the central plains/rice fields. The soils here need to be conditioned to grow spuds, acidic sandy tropical soils that are either water logged or in "drought" conditions, with low organic matter! means you cannot grow spuds - or much else - unfortunately!

[Justgrazing]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The Khaki Campbell ducks, a British breed, are brought to the fields after 20 days in

Quarantine at a ASQ pond .. 

[bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The Khaki Campbell ducks, a British breed, are brought to the fields after 20 days in

Quarantine at a ASQ pond .. 

ASQ All Swimingly Quackers

[kickstart]

3 hours ago, baansgr said:

Drought....it's rained almost every day for 3 months and not even rainy season yet...

It is middle of September we last had rain on the 1st of the month 27 mm, we only had 127 mm for the whole last month .

And by the way the rainy season started 3 months ago ,just no rain this year it  will finish in about 6 weeks ,around here it finished end of September last year. 

The Passak dam near me Lopburi Provence is still only 11% full, we are in a drought.

[kickstart]

2 hours ago, CGW said:

I have looked into this quite extensively, your making a few suppositions, how would you "bump it up to 30°c" you need money to invest for "probably" not a lot of that available to struggling farmers.

We grow a small crop of potatoes here in the NE in the winter season, (after a lot of soil preparation), its a cold weather crop, doesn't like the heat and needs good drainage, the spuds that are grown here are grown in the North, not the central plains/rice fields. The soils here need to be conditioned to grow spuds, acidic sandy tropical soils that are either water logged or in "drought" conditions, with low organic matter! means you cannot grow spuds - or much else - unfortunately!

 

3 hours ago, AgentSmith said:

Potatoes grow well in soil temperatures up to 25 C. There are probably plenty of northern regions in Thailand that are fine for potato production. In time they might also be able to create new varieties that tolerate higher temperatures. If they can bump it up to 30 C potatoes could potentially be grown everywhere.

And potatoes need a long growing season ,they would have to be a main crop .looking at 5 months growing season which as CGW said they will not get due to the climate

They might like 30c but they will not stand the humidity ,Potato Blight ,leaf roll and soft rot will take they toll.

I have tried twice to grow spuds no luck ,second time they never even got to the surface .

As CGW  said next suggestion. 

[CGW]

1 hour ago, kickstart said:

next suggestion.

There will always be someone who comes up with a suggestion - nothing wrong with that, most believe that rice is grown in good arable land, just like "home"!

Think again, rice is grown where nothing else will grow, only with the use of a lot of chemicals.

The root of the problem lies with many decades of poor land management, deforestation took place on a massive scale in Thailand, the land was never fit for agriculture, but greed won the day, now with a changing climate the land will eventually end up barren - they should have left the forests in place, short term gain has turned into long time suffering for many "farmers"!

Edited September 15, 2020 by CGW

[soalbundy]

15 hours ago, baansgr said:

Drought....it's rained almost every day for 3 months and not even rainy season yet...

really?? you should visit the Surin area, we have a celebration everytime it rains, oh and it is the rainy season although one wouldn't know it.

[Sydebolle]

16 hours ago, baansgr said:

Drought....it's rained almost every day for 3 months and not even rainy season yet...

Where was that? 

 

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, JoePai said:

Brilliant, a win win

Sustainable farming, who'd have thought.

[ifmu]

a great solution to a problem  good job 

now for the long term .. i think this drought / climate change problem will get much worse in the next 10 years or so ..

i would like to see a long term solution for lack of water ..

how about 

hydroponics  or aquaponics  or a new science yet to be discovered 

i would hope the farmers would have the foresight to change .. 

[bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, ifmu said:

a great solution to a problem  good job 

now for the long term .. i think this drought / climate change problem will get much worse in the next 10 years or so ..

i would like to see a long term solution for lack of water ..

how about 

hydroponics  or aquaponics  or a new science yet to be discovered 

i would hope the farmers would have the foresight to change .. 

I'd agree with that.

The only thing I know about it was having seen one installation here by an Aussie a few years ago, who was virtually self-sufficient using aquaponics. The small pump to circulate the water was solar powered too.

[LukKrueng]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

in this 15 acre (67 hectares) farm.

Ummm..

According to a Web converter,  67 hectares are about 165 acres. 15 acres are about 6.07 hectares. 

 

[essox essox]

On 9/15/2020 at 4:16 PM, AgentSmith said:

There is a very practical solution yet one that won't be easily accepted in Asia: swap rice with potatoes. Potatoes need much less water to grow, are much less labor intensive and store more energy per square meter of cultivated land. I for one much prefer rice over boiled potatoes as a main carb intake but with this changing climate and ever growing number of people Asia might not have a choice in the long run. And while Thailand won't have a shortage to feed its own people (they export it so they're in it for the money) other countries such as Indonesia heavily depend on import and they're probably the first to change their habits out of pure necessity. Indo rice paddies already produce quite a number of other crops every year. Potatoes aren't such a bad idea. There are plenty of varieties and then we could finally have proper potatoes for fries in the stores here. ????

SPUDS

[essox essox]

Just now, essox essox said:

 

proper spuds need the correct weather conditions to grow.....