Farm Labour Costs

[Joe Walshe]

My wife recently purchased 200 rai of Eucalyptus in Chaiyaphum, Esarn. The trees are about two years old and weeds and brush grow between them. The previous owner had a team come in every rainy season to cut the weeds down. They reckoned this way the dead weeds would remain wet while decomposing and there would be less likelyhood of fire. She has been told that the rate for removing weeds and brush is 320 bht per rai. That totals 64,000 bht every year not allowing for inflation. Seems a bit high to me. The locals know my wife is married to a Farang. Any ideas or comments appreciated.

[londonthai]

the best is to speak to the previous owner (in fact, this things should be discussed before buying the land) - he might put you in touch with workers doing it before. Anyway, your wife can always shop around for the better offer. Even asking some people on the vegetable market in the nearest town - they won't know her and about you, so the price might be lower.

[SAP]

Joe, I would expect that this job should be done for around 100-150 bt/rai.

But they will say that they have to put petrol in the mahine, and that costs the money. To run a 7 disk plow with a ford 6610 is about 250 bt/rai. So maybe do that or if there is not enough space use a kubota, it will actually reduce the risk of fire this way. If you just cut the grass then leave it for the dry season, I would say that is bigger fire risk, some Ozzies on the net will know more about this.

So the other option is to hire one person that works as your guard man and grass chopper, kill two birds with one stone.

CHEERS

SAP

[Joe Walshe]

Thanks guys.

Hiring a local all year round to just keep cutting and burning as he goes seems to make sense. As you say SAP, this would provide security as well. I'll need to check how dense the scrub is. Hopefully he can just slash away at it between SomTam breaks.

[chownah]

Probably depends on how thick the brush is as to what's a good price. Get/borrow a weed wacker and see how long it takes for one rai...would a tractor mounted brush cutter work to cut the alleys...or one of those walk behind brush cutters?

[Joe Walshe]

For those of you interested. The locals have advised that the reason they cut weeds and brush in wet season is because while it is damp and subsequently soft the white ants will eat it in no time. Cutting weeds in hot dry season would require weeds to be removed or they would pose fire risk. We have also been advised by independent locals that 320 baht per rai for a team to cut any amount of weeds is pretty much the going rate. So, we'll just pay the dosh and get it done.

Joe

[ozzydom]

Joe, I would expect that this job should be done for around 100-150 bt/rai.

But they will say that they have to put petrol in the mahine, and that costs the money. To run a 7 disk plow with a ford 6610 is about 250 bt/rai. So maybe do that or if there is not enough space use a kubota, it will actually reduce the risk of fire this way. If you just cut the grass then leave it for the dry season, I would say that is bigger fire risk, some Ozzies on the net will know more about this.

So the other option is to hire one person that works as your guard man and grass chopper, kill two birds with one stone.

CHEERS

SAP

Unless you know the layout of the plantation its hard to make a call,row spacings, if they are wide enough to facilitate ploughing ,I would suggest deep ploughing down the row keeping about three feet from the saplings then spray the remainder with herbicide.

Slashing in the wet season is a never ending task, a month after you finish it will look like it had never been touched, at over 60k a slash, its going to put a big dent in your bottom line.

Deep ploughing also has the advantage of root pruning, it cuts off the lateral roots and forces the sapling to spread more feeder roots.

[soap]

.

Slashing in the wet season is a never ending task, a month after you finish it will look like it had never been touched, at over 60k a slash, its going to put a big dent in your bottom line.

Deep ploughing also has the advantage of root pruning, it cuts off the lateral roots and forces the sapling to spread more feeder roots.

agree 100%

[ozzydom]

Very strange how on other threads regarding eucalypts ,posters were claiming euca,s ruin the soil or " nothing will grow near eucalypt' etc etc,, now we read that weed supression will cost heaps of baht.

Of course eucalypt will outgrow just about anything in the first 3-5 years so there is always the choice to do nothing and let the shade of the growing euca,s minimise weed growth, not to forget a lot of the weed growth will be annuals and will die back naturally after the wet.

Hard to make a judgement call without seeing the particular plantation,but the money may be better spent pruning the lower branches to promote upward growth and back burning in sections during the still damp mornings later in the year, low burn off fire will not harm euca,s in fact the addition of the potash is beneficial to the euca,s growth.

Like most things "there is more than one way to skin a cat".

[Joe Walshe]

Thanks guys. Very educational. I was surprised to find that on a3 y.o. eucalyptus plantation weed control would be a problem. We are in Ireland and my Wife's family are running things. My mother-in law had told us that these are not normal eucalyptus trees - they have shallower roots and don't do so much harm to soil. I'm not an expert so am inclined to listen to their advice on occasion. Joe

[ozzydom]

Thanks guys. Very educational. I was surprised to find that on a3 y.o. eucalyptus plantation weed control would be a problem. We are in Ireland and my Wife's family are running things. My mother-in law had told us that these are not normal eucalyptus trees - they have shallower roots and don't do so much harm to soil. I'm not an expert so am inclined to listen to their advice on occasion. Joe

Joe, When are you next in LoS? if I were in your boots I would be getting the local Agricultural extension officer to have a look at your plantation with you and advise you on its maintenance ,something does not sound kosher.

Eucalypt have evolved over millions of years and are great survivors,they are pretty fire resistant,they dont blow over often and are not palatable to most insects.

Their root system will be in direct relationship with the tree height and canopy width, they will go to a depth needed for stability and the feeder roots will be at the drip line.

If they are planted on a shallow hardpan ,their depth may be restricted,but moisture,nutrients and stability requirements dictate their growth habit.

I did not post re the price they are quoting for slashing ,but I am near 70 and can still do 3 rai of heavy growth a day on my lonesome ,hmm,1000 baht a day for a rural labourer, do you hear little bells at times.

Cheers

ozzy

[svenivan]

I asked last week and the price here outside Chiang Rai is 250 bath/rai. And that is NOT cheap. That is including machine and gas.

One guy should be able to do 3 rai per day.

edit

I did not take their offer. I hired two guys and they used my machines and I provided gas. They costed 200 bath per day and man.

end edit

Edited August 19, 2007 by svenivan

[Joe Walshe]

Thanks Svenivan.

My wife has been talking to local Govt. advisers and we have agreed that ony about 75 of the 200 rai have problems with weeds, tall grasses etc. This is because the Eucalyptus in these areas are very small. Maybe planted later or on bad soil. They will spray with weed killer and apparently the white ants eat the dead plants in the wet season (when they are soft). By the time to dry season comes round - no dead vegetation as fire risk.

Will post progress report for those interested.

Joe