It seems to me from reading the farming forum, The Financial Times and from Television that farmers, Worldwide, are getting good prices for most agricultural products including rice, casava, corn even eucalyptus and rubber.

Part of the rise in demand is due to a more affluent Chineese population eating more meat (which is grain fed).

The supply of agricultural products may be reduced as farmers worlwide are opting to grow more bio fuel crops.

If this is indeed the case and if this trend continues it seems the future could be good for Thai and Farang farmers.

I know this forum has members who are both professional farmers and those who have other incomes and farm as a hobby. These hobby farmers may now be tempted to make farming more of a priority and invest more time, energy and resources to it.

I'd be interested to hear if others share my optimism for the future of Thai farming.

I was listening to a radio 4 report this morning on the booming world demand for rice.

Its seems that Vietnam and India have stopped exporting the stuff so all fingers are now pointing to the 'bread...or rather Rice basket' of the world ...LOS... resulting in the price having gone up 50 % in the last couple of months.

From previous threads it now shifting (trade price) at around @ 12 Bt a Kilo.... and certainly looking not 2 bad for Thai Farmers...

On a slightly diff topic K wife on some healthy thingy and is talking about growing amongst others...Barley (CM)...and not for whisky....anyone else doing it ..Barley or..??...Alfalfa..the stuff in Spirolina.....etc.

Barley...Alfalfa.... climate in Thailand is not really suitable for it - yields are to low to make it an economicaly feasible standalone large scale crop. Cheaper to import it - and as far as wiskey and the cosmetic industry go - they manufacture localy using alternatives

Barley...Alfalfa.... climate in Thailand is not really suitable for it - yields are to low to make it an economicaly feasible standalone large scale crop. Cheaper to import it - and as far as wiskey and the cosmetic industry go - they manufacture localy using alternatives

Welcome back Maizefarmer. You weren't abducted by Aliens then.

You've certainly been busy on the forum since you got your satelite.

back to Topic. I did not realise another topic would end up covering the same subject. I have just read interesting views from 'Changing farming practices.

I believe farmers will fare much better in the future. While those working in manufactruing, and having to buy food, are in for a hard time.

Barley...Alfalfa.... climate in Thailand is not really suitable for it - yields are to low to make it an economicaly feasible standalone large scale crop. Cheaper to import it - and as far as wiskey and the cosmetic industry go - they manufacture localy using alternatives

Welcome back Maizefarmer. You weren't abducted by Aliens then.

You've certainly been busy on the forum since you got your satelite.

back to Topic. I did not realise another topic would end up covering the same subject. I have just read interesting views from 'Changing farming practices.

I believe farmers will fare much better in the future. While those working in manufactruing, and having to buy food, are in for a hard time.

Thanx Joe - yes, but I'm keeping most comments short & sweet. Will we fare much better in the future? Good question.

An interesting article from the BBC about the price of rice and the position of Thailand on the world market.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7222043.stm

An interesting article from the BBC about the price of rice and the position of Thailand on the world market.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7222043.stm

I laughed at the end of the report:

So are Thailand's rice producers laughing all the way to the bank? Actually, they are not.

"We don't like it when the price moves too fast," says Chookiat Ophswongse.

"As exporters we can get caught out. It is much easier for us to handle rice prices when they are more stable."

Since when did exporters become the producers?

After years of hardly more than breaking even (if that), Thai producers are mostly now just clearing their debts rather than “laughing all the way to the bank”.

Rgds

Khonwan