Income From Farming

[Joe Walshe]

I am hoping someone can guide us to a link on web giving comaparison incomes and other advice on all types of farming. For example rice farming versus, cattle etc. I realise productivity will be affected by location (hat Yai or Chinag MAi), water resources, proximity to cities, soil type etc.

We grow Mango, bananas, coconuts, palm, large fish pond, chickens, beef cattle and vegetables. We live in Ireland and mother in law keeps farm going until we retire there. Thanks in advance.

[Tilapia]

I am hoping someone can guide us to a link on web giving comaparison incomes and other advice on all types of farming. For example rice farming versus, cattle etc. I realise productivity will be affected by location (hat Yai or Chinag MAi), water resources, proximity to cities, soil type etc.

We grow Mango, bananas, coconuts, palm, large fish pond, chickens, beef cattle and vegetables. We live in Ireland and mother in law keeps farm going until we retire there. Thanks in advance.

Hey Joe.

This might be tough words, but dont exspect to get any profit from it, specially when you are not there, and even if you were pressent it is still a huge task just to break even.

So one might ask, then why are you all doing it ?? my answer would be: Because I love the farming way of life.

Tilapia.

[pnustedt]

I am building up a farming business near Sisaket and believe that it will be profitable. Mainly involved with contract rice cultivation and harvesting but also growing a range of produce for direct sale to markets. We have about 45 rai of farm land and lease further land. Two branches of my wife's family are working with us and they are each earning Bt20-30K a month now. Their entire families are involved and we also employ numerous village residents as and when required.

The project involves quite a high capital investment, I have already spent about Bt4m and this year have just ordered a new combine harvester for over Bt2m but anticipate a payback of about 4 to 5 years. It involves a lot of hard work (by the family) and trust and honesty to work together.

I am looking for an income stream in Thai Baht down the line to help support me in my even older age, rather than relying on the vagaries of exchange rates and to provide a meaningful lifestyle for the family. Also, I enjoy doing it!

[Tilapia]

I am building up a farming business near Sisaket and believe that it will be profitable. Mainly involved with contract rice cultivation and harvesting but also growing a range of produce for direct sale to markets. We have about 45 rai of farm land and lease further land. Two branches of my wife's family are working with us and they are each earning Bt20-30K a month now. Their entire families are involved and we also employ numerous village residents as and when required.

The project involves quite a high capital investment, I have already spent about Bt4m and this year have just ordered a new combine harvester for over Bt2m but anticipate a payback of about 4 to 5 years. It involves a lot of hard work (by the family) and trust and honesty to work together.

I am looking for an income stream in Thai Baht down the line to help support me in my even older age, rather than relying on the vagaries of exchange rates and to provide a meaningful lifestyle for the family. Also, I enjoy doing it!

Yes, money can be made, but it takes hard work, I am happy to hear that you can get the family united in doing this, not many is succesful in that task, I tried but have to give up, and take people from outside.

Tilapia.

[Gary A]

I'm sure that I have spent more on our two little hobby farms than I will ever get back. I went into it knowing that. I did relent and had a couple of tractors make some rice paddy on both ten rai plots. One plot has a lot of old fruit trees that I didn't have the heart to rip out so there is about three rai of paddy there. The other plot will be about six rai of paddy. Both plots have ponds so there should be enough water. I am able to play gentleman farmer and I enjoy that. When I am dead and gone you can bet that my wife WILL be able to make a living off that land. That was originally the plan and I am happy with it. Her future with that 20 rai is MUCH better than some woman whose farang husband has died leaving a huge three or four million baht house that she certainly doesn't need.

[Loom]

Well, the OP's question and circumstances are the reason I'm watching this Forum. There's a link to the Office of Ag Economics in the pinned topic "Farming Links & Resources". Here you can find annual reports with statistics for a variety of crops grown in Thailand. The detail gets down to average yield per rai and farm price. I don't know about the data quality. But I've worked out gross revenue potential per rai for longans, para rubber, tomatoes, soybeans and mangosteen with "tomatoes" generating the highest average annual figure ~bt35,000/rai/year. The tomatoes are probably the makua discussed Maizefarmer's interesting thread. Good luck explaining to thais that a foreigner has a better way of growing them, though.

For rice I've searched this forum. Some of threads have itemized growing costs. But based on what I learned here, I'll continue to advise my wife to collect rent from growers. Timber looks pretty interesting as long as there's no need for immediate cash flow. Trees have a "green" aspect, there's a shortage of good quality wood in the world, so there should be decent long-term price inflation. With the right kind of trees it seems that decent value may be created over the longer term with small labor input compared to annual crops (not too bad if you're retired). But I wouldn't dream of quitting my day job expecting big money without a lot of energy, enthusiasm and resources to create large scale.

[Joe Walshe]

Appreciate varied responses and views on the subject. Our original plan was to plant a range of trees including fruit trees which would be mature when we retire there. We would most likely be 'hobby farmers' with some income from fish, vegetables, fruit, cattle etc. Relatives and paid help would do most of work. As we own the land and will be bringing savings and pension I don't plan on killing myself farming. However, I opened the thread hoping to find out what best to start now so that any projects would be somewhat advanced by the time we arive. I'm thinking to stick to variety with loads of trees. This also gives us a noce environment to live in.

Good luck to chap in Sisaket.

As for difficulty teaching Thai farmers to do things differently this is not unique to Thailand. I have Czech and Polish workers with me and have great difficulty getting them to build in accordance with Irish building regs. People are reluctant to change. Many local Thai famers have copied our organic farming methods becasue they had seen it done and it made economic sense. Our example was more powerful than persuasion. Joe.

[Tilapia]

There is a reason, that Thailand is called "the land of copies" As we know the word Copyright, translated to Thai it means Right To Copy, according to there believe...But who can blaime them.

I agree with you that force wont make them think more constructive, but when you do farming, without a pension from back home to support the business with, then you cant affort to turn the blind eye to the mistakes they make. Many of them dont have any idea what the word responsebility means, and if you do live-stock like I do, then that is a very important part of the work.

Tilapia.