Hi, for all you farmers and wanabe farmers out there, here is an article in the Toronto Star about Agriculture's New Golden Age. http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/308530 if that link doesn't work I have added an attachment that has it in word format. Issangeorge.

Agriculture_s_New_Golden_Age.doc

I really do think humanity has lost the plot, when it is more imporatant to grow crops for bio fuel than for food.

Mosha perhaps your right, but perhaps now the farmer will get a high enough price that he can live off the land and not have to get a second job, and perhaps farmers will think twice about selling out to developers and farm instead. Issangeorge

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/docu...ive/6501077.stm

You might find the above BBC Radio 4 documentary on this subject interesting. I also, read an article about booming Agricultural commodity prices in the Financial Times some weeks back.

It seems to me that Thai farmers should eventually get a better return on their efforts - unless the middlemen mangage to take all the gain. I would also expect agricultural land to go up in value. Some winners, some losers.

Yes - crop prices are certainly up recently and there is every indication that so long as China's economy keeps booming as it currently is, its midddle class wil keep expanding and so too will demand for food (and fuel).

But off-setting this (to what extent?) are the changes to the Asian climate that China's development is bringing, resulting in a hotter climate and ever growing shortage of water, and one of Thailands big agricultural problems is water logistics - without which there will be no long term agriculture "boom".

Yes - crop prices are certainly up recently and there is every indication that so long as China's economy keeps booming as it currently is, its midddle class wil keep expanding and so too will demand for food (and fuel).

But off-setting this (to what extent?) are the changes to the Asian climate that China's development is bringing, resulting in a hotter climate and ever growing shortage of water, and one of Thailands big agricultural problems is water logistics - without which there will be no long term agriculture "boom".

This is a sobering article from the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/business...amp;oref=slogin

Many other credible newspapers and TV stations runnng similar stories.

I'm a little surprised more TV farming people are not interested in this subject.

Yes - crop prices are certainly up recently and there is every indication that so long as China's economy keeps booming as it currently is, its midddle class wil keep expanding and so too will demand for food (and fuel).

But off-setting this (to what extent?) are the changes to the Asian climate that China's development is bringing, resulting in a hotter climate and ever growing shortage of water, and one of Thailands big agricultural problems is water logistics - without which there will be no long term agriculture "boom".

This is a sobering article from the New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/business...amp;oref=slogin

Many other credible newspapers and TV stations runnng similar stories.

I'm a little surprised more TV farming people are not interested in this subject.

There are several threads on Farming forum regarding this subject ,check this thread on page two.....Bio-fuel Boom To Create Food Shortages