Rubber farmers plead for help after price plummets

By The Nation

 

 

Trang province’s rubber tree farmers have asked the government for help after the price of rubber suddenly plummeted following fresh Covid-19 lockdowns in Europe.

 

On Monday, the price in the latex market had dropped to Bt41-Bt42, from Bt70-71 a few days earlier, and is expected to fall further.

 

Siriphan Nuichoo, 46, a representative of rubber tree farmers in Trang, said that their incomes had dropped drastically as small 8-rai plantations could now only generate Bt300 a day.

 

Rubber farmers were growing other crops to eat in order to cut their expenses, he added. But they were still not making enough money to live since the cost of living was rising.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30397615

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-11-09

 

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Wash, rinse, recycle.

Almost a decade of business failure is not a viable business model.

I would have thought that lockdowns would increase the use of condoms.

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Trang province’s rubber tree farmers have asked the government for help after the price of rubber suddenly plummeted following fresh Covid-19 lockdowns in Europe.

Ohh yes there it is... that didn't take long.

1 hour ago, Srikcir said:

Wash, rinse, recycle.

Almost a decade of business failure is not a viable business model.

Thai Airways seem to think it's worth salvaging?

22 hours ago, webfact said:

Rubber farmers plead for help after price plummets

Here we go again price drops ,Go beg to the Government. 

What industry will be next , other farmers with all different crops and animals. 

When the prices are sky high they don't offer the government some Extra money /Tax. They most likely try to avoid to pay Any tax. some aren't even listed .

I thought some some guy said rubber prices would go to 100 baht per kilo recently?I

 

I wonder if he changed his Crystal ball...or got jailed under the Computer Crimes Act for false or misleading information.

8 rai is not small. 300baht per day is 109500, 9000 ish per month. Is there another crop that will generate more per day from 8 rai? I think not.

 

 

Stay cool. It will bounce back.

"And the Government has funded studies for alternative crops to encourage farmers to diversify"..............just dreaming, all the money needed for submarines! Although I recently saw the Transport Minister asking for a big budget to install rubber barriers on many roads so maybe they will absorb the glut of rubber! 

There is no future for rubber farming in Thailand, short term or long term.

 

Neighboring countries have planted hundred of thousands of hectares with rubber trees for which there isn't even enough labor to tap them in the future but which will help to drive down prices further.  This is the short term problem.

 

The long term problem is that European countries are piloting the production of rubber from alternative crops (Russian dandelion and  Parthenium argentatum Gray) which can be harvested by machine.  The main waiting is for improved varieties which produce higher yields.  This takes time but these alternative crops are likely to become competitive with the labour intensive rubber tree.

 

Rubber wood is valueable.  It is a lovely light-colored wood, and pretty hard too.  So, what is the waiting for?  Cut the trees, gradually, sell the wood and change to a more promising crop.

Good Lord, Its only been 2 Days, and they have their Sticky Mitts out already

Rubber farmers always bounce back

9 hours ago, digger70 said:

Here we go again price drops ,Go beg to the Government. 

What industry will be next , other farmers with all different crops and animals. 

When the prices are sky high they don't offer the government some Extra money /Tax. They most likely try to avoid to pay Any tax. some aren't even listed .

 

The government recommended they grow rubber.

 

They did.  It took years to get there.  But they did it.

 

Now, they're in trouble because they followed the government's recommendation. 

 

Who would you have them ask for relief?

9 hours ago, Scott Tracy said:

8 rai is not small. 300baht per day is 109500, 9000 ish per month. Is there another crop that will generate more per day from 8 rai? I think not.

 

 

Rubber can only be tapped 20 days per month and you might lose some of those if it rains.

So your looking at 6000 / month if your lucky.

5 hours ago, impulse said:

 

The government recommended they grow rubber.

 

They did.  It took years to get there.  But they did it.

 

Now, they're in trouble because they followed the government's recommendation. 

 

Who would you have them ask for relief?

Why would they want relief . Because of over supply from that product?

When the rubber price was high in the beginning , everyone started to plant rubber trees, Now there's a oversupply . Same with every crop not only in Los. People have to rethink and grow some different crops .

Same thing happen in Aus with the sugar cane and bananas  and oranges first the price was high ,

everyone planted cane and bananas  and orange trees,than a Glut and the price dropped to nothing.

It's the peoples fault with the oversupply,It's the greed in people ,They don't think.

Who will be next to want support for their ailing businesses.

These people need to accept life has its ups and downs.

As I was told many years ago, if you cant make money, change what you do.

 

On 11/10/2020 at 3:07 PM, Scott Tracy said:

I thought some some guy said rubber prices would go to 100 baht per kilo recently?I

 

I wonder if he changed his Crystal ball...or got jailed under the Computer Crimes Act for false or misleading information.

You are right. The Covid rubber glove demand was going to send rubber prices through the roof. Plus all the rubber that was going to be used on the roads and highways for posts and railings and road paving. It was going to be the new El Dorado of Thailand. Plus back in September last year the government was proposing giving rubber growers a 26 BILLION baht subsidy to help improve their incomes. What went wrong?

On 11/11/2020 at 1:00 AM, surat04 said:

Rubber can only be tapped 20 days per month and you might lose some of those if it rains.

So your looking at 6000 / month if your lucky.

correct

 

On 11/9/2020 at 3:44 AM, webfact said:

Rubber farmers were growing other crops to eat

The writer makes it sound as if the farmers were eating their own crops of rubber.

'nuf sed.