Growing Cassava In Thailand

[Mobaan]

CASSAVA IN JUNE/JULY

Everybody has read Konwans(and others) reasoning for planting 2 year crops. I fully agree with the statements and wanted to do it myself . I am done now , but would like to alert others with the same plans to some of the difficulties I ran into.

a) Here around Udon just about nobody has 1 year old cassava in June , much less anybody who would want to cut stalks at that time . I had to drive 75 km to find someone , did not get the variety I wanted (just had to take whatever was available). And I had to cut the stalks myself -no problem here .

This happens to be rice planting time ,so everybody and their uncle are doing that . Daylabor that normally is available for 200 Baht is making 500-600 Baht a day pulling/bundling rice seedlings . So you may very well end up planting etc everything yourself (I did )

c) Soil preparation: This cassava is planted as intercrop between rows of newly planted rubber trees . Regardless of that fact I had the ground ploughed several times , a combination of a shitty ploughing job ( dont have my own tractor yet) and tremendous quick growth of grass and weeds this time of the year made for a rough time for the ridger . There are chunks of grass sod partially exposed that will sprout out again and need to be sprayed with Roundup. During the planting a lot of time was required to remove loose grass sod to actually be able to plant (not enough time for the grass to rot and decompose)-so we needed about 15 man hours per rai to plant ( I guess that is double the norm).I did spray the recommended pre emergency herbicide and hope it will do the job .

HERE IS ONE QUESTION :

The only planting material I initiall y found was of a locally grown "variety"(most people really had no idea ) called "E DAENG NOI "( spelling ???). That is not a name I can associate with any of the variety descriptions I found in some of the threads here . Does anybody know what that would translate to .???

Later in the game I found some Amphur -issued "Rayong 72 " (which is what I wanted ) enough for about 1/2 Rai . It will give me the opportunity to get some differnt results , especially since I plan to add some more variables to this (rate /timing of fertilizer , irrigation etc)

[Khonwan]

Hi Mobaan

I’m glad my district is not a major rice growing area! I guess you’ll need to shift planting to March/April in future to avoid the labour shortage and consequent hyper-labour-costs.

I’ve no idea what E Daeng Noi is (literally “little red”) but guess it is simply a local name. Post a high resolution pic showing the stem and leaf and I’ll see if we or friends can identify it.

Rgds

Khonwan

[Mobaan]

Thanks Konwan,

before going thru all that trouble I will try to get some answers from the (notso ) local AG office (Godd luck to me !!)

Here is another question : On a filed right next to the house there is a seven month old planting of cassava . In the region where our storm drain enters the property ( plenty of moisture ) there is a vigerous growth -plants up to 4 meters high) Most of these plants produced just one , perkaps 2 shoots which are up to 5 cm in diameter at the base .The plant obviously spend a tremendous amount of energy to produce this obove ground organic material.

Would it better to have several smaller shoots ,which perhaps would have more of a combined leaf area -as compared to just one ,very tall shoot- therfore theoretically having a larger base for phosythesis? Is there any research/practical experience in this area ?

I intent to experiment with our Rayong 72 planting a bit in this rtegard , by topping (hedgecutter ) the plants at 2-3 month in order to encourage branching of the shoots .

Am I completey off track here?

[fish58]

Hi guys,

I am new on this forum, I appreciate a lot.

I have 200 rai near Kabin Buri , i would like to plant cassava. Actually my land is new with trees under

I would like to clean and planting cassava

After to clean for the first year, 3 disc +7disc and ridge are necessary?

What fertilizer? 15-7-18

What variety? Rayong 72 , Rayong 9 ,Rayong 11,Rayong 90, HB 60 ,HB 80,KU 50 …?

Thank you very much for your advice for this first year

Didier

[Mobaan]

CASSAVA IN JULY

Here some more observations / experiences .

The recommended weed control spray works like a charm . The field is clean as a babies butt-however now in the rainy season that turns out to be a two edged sword . Instead of chopping weeds I spend my time with erosion contrlol - even on the slightest slope one can think of .

Another deal seems to be the greatly increased activity of the termites (as compared to the Winter month ).Not only do they chomp up every little piece of leftover cassava stalks from last year - no they want tohe new stuff as well - have about 40 % loss of sets . What else do I have to do ,so I just have to replant ,but now I dip the cutting in Furadan slurry before planting . Will see if that helps .

The old wisdom still holds true - when it sounds too god ......

Happy Farming

[somo]

Have just posted about this in the organic farming section but thought repeating here.

message refers to krauti's product mentioned there and above here.

"I am one of the guys who have tested supergreen and was amazed.

Sceptical at first but in just 18 days some sick and small cassava was totally rejuvenated.

Got some pics if anyone wants to see. Now applying it to as much as I can but difficult to spray

taller cassava as can hardly walk through it waving a sprayer around.

Have since done a lot of research into the possibilities of foliar fertilization and am convinced this is the way

to go."

I can strongly recommend you give his offer of a free trial a go and see for yourselves.

Steve

[Mobaan]

Cassava in July -another update !

I am beginning to scratch my head about the wisdom of this .I am not giving up -will pull this crop throu - no matter what ,BUT

in August / September we had rain (Rain) on 22 out of 24 days . The activity of the weedkiller recommended ealier in this thread ceased after about 6 weeks -dispite generous mearuring during application . Thereafter is was / is back to cold steel often walking in ankle deep mud -it just will not dry up , the grass is literally having a field day .

Fertilizer applications , when done in a time effient broadcast spreading, way are only partially helpful , since a lot of the fertilizer is washed away with the daily rainfalls.We may indeed have to back to the local method and dig a small hole next to each plant to place a spoonfull of fertilizer in the soil .

Hope I can find someone to do that , I am not bending over 3000 time per rai to tend to each plant individually!

Will keep you posted .

[somo]

Know what you mean about the rain.

Some farmers in my area are having to harvest now as their cassava tubours are starting to rot.

Touch wood mine are ok but could do with a break in the rain soon.

[Mobaan]

Have just posted about this in the organic farming section but thought repeating here.

message refers to krauti's product mentioned there and above here.

"I am one of the guys who have tested supergreen and was amazed.

Sceptical at first but in just 18 days some sick and small cassava was totally rejuvenated.

Got some pics if anyone wants to see. Now applying it to as much as I can but difficult to spray

taller cassava as can hardly walk through it waving a sprayer around.

Have since done a lot of research into the possibilities of foliar fertilization and am convinced this is the way

to go."

I can strongly recommend you give his offer of a free trial a go and see for yourselves.

Steve

We tried it too,actually in a proper trail setup. First spray at the 10 leaf stage , second 3 weeks later etc . Maybe due to the excess rain this year we can not see any differences in the plant hight , color etc so far

[somo]

Have just posted about this in the organic farming section but thought repeating here.

message refers to krauti's product mentioned there and above here.

"I am one of the guys who have tested supergreen and was amazed.

Sceptical at first but in just 18 days some sick and small cassava was totally rejuvenated.

Got some pics if anyone wants to see. Now applying it to as much as I can but difficult to spray

taller cassava as can hardly walk through it waving a sprayer around.

Have since done a lot of research into the possibilities of foliar fertilization and am convinced this is the way

to go."

I can strongly recommend you give his offer of a free trial a go and see for yourselves.

Steve

We tried it too,actually in a proper trail setup. First spray at the 10 leaf stage , second 3 weeks later etc . Maybe due to the excess rain this year we can not see any differences in the plant hight , color etc so far

Hi.

Below is a pic I took 18 days after spraying with a bit of plastic marking the original height. Shows a big improvement in such a short time. Also a pic at time of spraying showing how ropey it was originally. Not scientific I know but suitably impressed to give it a real go next year. Anything that can improve photosynthesis has got to be worth investigating as it is through the leaves that all the weight of the plant and tubors are developed. I haven't been able to get up there since but my wife has and apparently the sprayed plants and their tubors are now about 2 meters tall (she said taller than me and I am 1.85) with large tubors and that was with just the one spraying. Next year will also add some suprgreen to the solution we soak the setts in prior to planting as apparently even they can benefit so hopefully will open and develop faster.

[Mobaan]

Have just posted about this in the organic farming section but thought repeating here.

message refers to krauti's product mentioned there and above here.

"I am one of the guys who have tested supergreen and was amazed.

Sceptical at first but in just 18 days some sick and small cassava was totally rejuvenated.

Got some pics if anyone wants to see. Now applying it to as much as I can but difficult to spray

taller cassava as can hardly walk through it waving a sprayer around.

Have since done a lot of research into the possibilities of foliar fertilization and am convinced this is the way

to go."

I can strongly recommend you give his offer of a free trial a go and see for yourselves.

Steve

We tried it too,actually in a proper trail setup. First spray at the 10 leaf stage , second 3 weeks later etc . Maybe due to the excess rain this year we can not see any differences in the plant hight , color etc so far

Hi.

Below is a pic I took 18 days after spraying with a bit of plastic marking the original height. Shows a big improvement in such a short time. Also a pic at time of spraying showing how ropey it was originally. Not scientific I know but suitably impressed to give it a real go next year. Anything that can improve photosynthesis has got to be worth investigating as it is through the leaves that all the weight of the plant and tubors are developed. I haven't been able to get up there since but my wife has and apparently the sprayed plants and their tubors are now about 2 meters tall (she said taller than me and I am 1.85) with large tubors and that was with just the one spraying. Next year will also add some suprgreen to the solution we soak the setts in prior to planting as apparently even they can benefit so hopefully will open and develop faster.

Cassava in July

Good for you Somo . After 2 sprays we can not see any difference in the cassava or the rubber trees . A third (last ) spray will go on this week . With all the rain we had and generous fertilisation perhaps the effects of the Supergreen (if there are any ) where masked . They may show up more pronounced in a stress situation ( less water , less fertilizer)and then it might be a matter of economice to decide to spray Suprgreen or add some more conventional fertilizer . But the fat lady has not sung her song yet . We will continue this research and when we harvest (December 2012 ) we will see what happened.

So far we had to handweed four times after the initial chemical preemergene application petered out after 6 weeks . Hopefully the cassava can take care of itself now ??

If it sound too good to be true...................

[Robroy]

How is the cassava mealybug situation in Isaan, about one year after the government disseminated the predator wasp to kill it?

[somo]

In my area of Chayapoum there is no sign of it so fingers crossed that will be the last of the mealy bug

[somo]

Apparently the government is guaranteeing a price of 2.70 Baht/kilo for cassava.

Does anyone know how I can claim this as the local mills are only offering 2.25 at the moment.

[Khonwan]

^

The program seems a right mess just now, like most other things under this current government. It was announced sometime in January that the scheme was being launched on 1^st February and would commence with a price of Bt2.75/kg, rising each month to Bt2.90/kg in April; the scheme would end 1^st May.

The qualifications have apparently been dripping out piecemeal and the start date almost immediately slipped to 15^th February. We were told that the maximum personal quota is 250 tonnes – this then became 200 tonnes. We have been told that the applicant must have already possessed the amphur-issued certificate of farming, which states the amount of land being farmed by the individual; new certificates are currently unavailable in order to prevent corruption by so-called new farmers.

Just been told, as I write this (my wife was back on to our local Or Bor Tor – sub-district councillor) that the maximum quota is indeed 250 tonnes. However, the program further limits the farmer to 3.5 tonnes per rai…and there is a huge catch: rented land farmed (i.e. not owned by the farmer) and land owned and farmed but with “title” less than Sor Por Kor does not qualify!!!!! So much for Thaksin’s party, the governing Pueu Thai, helping the poor farmer!

If anyone else has information that clarifies, confirms or differs from the above, please contribute as I believe the situation remains murky.

The same scam that marked Thaksin’s own such scheme has now returned: the local corrupt authority figures are already buying up individual farmers registered rights under this scheme for insignificant sums.

My hope, and expectation, is that the scheme will drive up the price in general as has always tended to happen in the past. Relatively few cassava dealers are qualified to receive the cassava under the scheme since most do not have suitably large warehouses for the dried tapioca but those non-participating dealers (who tend to buy and ship immediately to the mills) are likely to have to offer close to the scheme price in order to remain competitive.

Rgds

Khonwan

[somo]

My wife has been on to our village boss and he says "wait for next month"

It seems the price will be for 100 ton lots so those with less are forming coops.

Will be having a chat with him this coming weekend so will report back later.

I am pretty sceptical about the whole thing but it seems worth a try.

[somo]

Latest news is that the 2.80 price will start on 1st March.

Deliver the cassava to the mill then take the receipt to the agricultural bank who will credit your account.

Also no 100 ton limit. This system will finish around Songkran.

The local mills have also posted notices saying that the tubors must be cut through from the stems and not have any part of the stem still attached.

Also next year crops left in the ground more than one year will get a reduced price. They want 8-10 month crops ideally. The variety known as "72" will also get a lower price next year. Apparently these instructions are filtering down from end users who are fed up with the low quality. Exporters are also getting flack for the amount of dirt/soil left in/added. In my area the mills cut 10% of the price to allow for dirt content but they don't seem to remove it before selling it on.

These sort of new rules tend to vary around the country but it may be worth while checking things out in your own area.

[Mobaan]

I aquired a few pickup loads of cassava stems ( I guess harvested around Nov/Dec last year ) They were just laying flat on the ground . I properly set them upright in loose soil ,water them regular and now they are taking off like crazy . Is it adviseable to go easy on the watering and what about the leaf shoots -should I break them off , some up to a foot long already ??

[rice555]

Tapioca smuggling drags down price: traders

PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI

THE NATION

March 10, 2012 1:00 am

Thai tapioca traders yesterday claimed that the falling price of cassava was due to some traders smuggling the product in from Cam- bodia, because of the Thai government's high pledging price.

The comments came after yesterday's meeting between the Internal Trade Department of the Commerce Ministry and the Thai Tapioca Traders Association aimed at reversing the price decline, which is hurting local farmers.

The government has blamed traders for the low price, saying they have colluded to pressure farmers to sell to them cheaply.

Teera Tantipanitkool, manager of the association, said the government should closely monitor smuggling of tapioca chip from Cam-bodia into border provinces in the East, since more than 300,000 tonnes of smuggled cassava had entered the country.

The price of tapioca chip from Cambodia is Bt6 per kilogram, and Bt1.70-Bt1.80 for fresh cassava, while the price of tapioca chip in the Kingdom is above Bt8 per kilo, as the pledging price for fresh cassava is currently Bt2.80.

The pledging price will gradually increase to Bt2.90 over the next two months. The current market price for fresh cassava is Bt1.30-Bt1.90 per kilo.

Teera said that because Cam-bodian tapioca chip is much cheaper than domestic cassava, traders have begun purchasing the neighbouring country's cassava instead of the local product.

The association has called on the government to lower the pledging price to reflect the real market price and solve the smuggling problem, which is hurting domestic farmers.

Seree Denworalak, president of the association, said the government should either scrap the pledging programme or lower the pledging price to Bt2.50 per kilo.

He said traders would willingly pay a higher price when the market mechanism has done its work.

[somo]

In our area of Chayapoum the 2.80 price guarantee is a joke. Of the 2 mills near us one is not interested saying he has enough sellers at at 2.05 Baht. This because the gov. has not supplied the paperwork to enough farmers in time and they have no choice but to sell now as they need the money and want to replant now. The other mill says they cannot be part of it as the owner is involved in local politics. He is in the process of transferring ownership to his son to comply with the law. Jolly honest of him but he has already made it clear that if he does get involved then the farmers will have to help him out as well by accepting the price of 2.10 for at least half their crop but signing the forms agreeing they were paid 2.80 so he can claim the subsidy for himself.

This practice of creaming off half the subsidy for themselves is being practiced in areas where at least it is being implimented.

Many farmers have of course already sold their harvest as the government has been so slow in implimenting the price guarantee. They thus have the pieces of paper saying they can get a price of 2.80 but have nothing to sell. The mill owners are offering 40baht/ton for these allowances and then claming the 7- 800 Baht/ton subsidy for themselves. Same old story of the rich making money out of the poor.

[Khonwan]

Yes, the cassava pledge scheme is a joke…a sick joke with the poor being taken for a ride by their wealthier more powerful brothers.

There are no mills in my area despite the fact that cassava is probably the major crop in my area – farmers here must sell through two middlemen who have been qualified by BAAC (Tor Kor Sor) as having the facilities to warehouse and transport dried chips to the mills. These two purchase tubers at only 2,300 baht (18% less than the scheme guarantee of 2,800 baht). Farmers are being told exactly when to harvest (they are in a queue) and must wait anything up to two months for their cash to be deposited to their BAAC accounts (they are being offered speedy payments should they accept only 2,000 baht per tonne). Unless they have first spoken with their BAAC branch, farmers who have loans with BAAC are having substantial share of the money (I’m not sure how much but have heard figures of 25% and even 50% mentioned) automatically deducted to reduce in part or full their short term loans, even though they may not be due for repayment for several weeks or months.

There are a great many farmers in my area who have not qualified for the scam scheme since they rent the land they farm or possess only squatters-right title such as Bor Tor 5. There are also a great many farmers who chose not to use the scheme due to the above mentioned difficulties. They are currently receiving only 1,750 baht per tonne for their tubers – most of them sell their scheme allowances…some have just ripped-up their papers in disgust.

In the highly unlikely event that anyone from BAAC or the government is interested in investigating this scam, this is happening in Tambon Maelay, Amphur Maewong, Nakhon Sawan – send me a PM to meet with me. Okay, we all know that’s never going to happen!

Rgds

Khonwan

[Khonwan]

We harvested 29 rai between early November and mid-December at prices ranging from Bt2,220-2,750, personally averaging Bt2,610 per tonne. We have delayed further harvest because of this government-driven saga this year but must now proceed. Around a third will be sold via the government pledge scheme at only Bt2,250 per tonne; the remainder will be sold at Bt1,800 per tonne (rates as of today – who knows what they’ll be in a few days). We will still make a profit but small scale farmers are really being hit hard.

I have now just learned that there is a middleman only around 25km from me who is paying Bt2,800 per tonne via the cassava pledge scheme. But, we are restricted to sell only to those qualifying middlemen within our own local BAAC branch area! Even if we lived only a couple of clicks from him since our BAAC area extends to around there. Who thought this dumb scheme could not get more stupid?

I’m being told that the cassava pledge scheme, which was established by the government to run to 1^st May, is being closed on 15^th April because BAAC cannot finance it beyond this date.

Rgds

Khonwan

[somo]

We also only have middle men chipping and drying not mills sorry my mistake calling them mills.

They are both dictating everything and sharing the spoils. One is now refusing to buy any of the "72" variety so we will have to pay the extra to transport the crop to the further away buyer. If you owe the company money then they will take it but at a reduced price just to pay of the loan. There is a lot of anger and frustration concerning the scheme and exploitation of it by the rich. For me to pay everyone plus fertilizer,tractor harvesting etc it costs me about Baht 1.30/kilo to produce and deliver all in. At the current price of 1.80 (2.00 less 10% for dirt) I will make only about 500 Baht/ton (about 2000 Baht/rai farmed) Hardly worth bothering with but I will persist as I am lucky and don't rely on it for a living but do feel for those that do. If the BAAC now say they cannot afford to continue paying out I am amazed as so far none of the money has gone to the farmers in my village. I am disgusted with the callousness shown by the middlemen/local politicians for the poor. Why central government can't think up a simple scheme that puts the subsidy in the hands of those it is intended for I don't know.

[Khonwan]

Disgust with this government over this issue exactly sums up my feelings too, but as for them being unable to come up with a better solution – what was wrong with Abhisit’s price top-up scheme? That ensured that any shortfall between the middleman’s price and the government’s guarantee price (Bt2,400 last year) was paid directly to the farmer. That scheme paid all registered farmers in respect of the actual land area they were actually farming whether owned or rented. I don’t know, but I always expected that the price would have been guaranteed at Bt2,500 this year had the Democratic Party been returned to government. We actually had one local canvasser promoting Yingluck/Thaksin in the run-up to the election promising a cassava price of Bt5,000, which the ordinary highly gullible local farmers believed was in reference to the tuber price though said canvasser would no doubt now claim he was referring to the dried chip price.

BTW, I’m sure that BAAC will ensure all farmers receive their cash who have already sold cassava under the pledge scheme. As I understand it, the middlemen in my area will stop accepting cassava under the scheme at the end of this month, which means I’d better rush!

There are several reasons for the poor market price just now: one reason is this government’s abandonment of the price mechanism that kept benzene much more expensive than gasohol. I believe that, in consequence, there is no ethanol production now, which relies on cane molasses and cassava. The good news, for next season’s harvest, is that benzene will no longer be sold from October this year (based on my memory of a newspaper report a few weeks ago) so ethanol production will, once again, support the price of cassava by the end of this year.

Rgds

Khonwan

[somo]

Hi Khonwan. Let's hope you are right re the price.

Need to pick your brains. Looks like I will be leaving some year old cassava for an extra 6 months.

The stems are currently quite tall, about 2 metres, with just a couple of leaves at the top.

I have heard somewhere that pruning them back to about 1 metre tall is a good idea.

In the past I was able to sell stems and so they were hacked back to near ground level.

What do you think. Leave them as they are or prune them back and if so to what height.

Steve

[tkohic]

Hi all, it is really disappoint this year, i only get 200,000B revenue for 60Rai Cassava,,

[somo]

Hi all, it is really disappoint this year, i only get 200,000B revenue for 60Rai Cassava,,

I assume you mean 200k profit ie about 3,300/rai ?

At current prices of around 2.00 Baht/kilo that would about average I think.

The true test of of you are farming efficiently is how many tons/rai you harvested and how much you spent/rai

The price you later sell at is in the hands of the gods

[Issangeorge]

From the information I could find on the internet it seems that ethanol made from cassava in Thailand if the price of fresh cassava roots (not dried) is 3 baht per kilogram would cost about 28.01 per litre. I believe this price is very competitive with fuel from crude oil, therefore there is no economic reason that a farmer should not be able to get at least 2.5 baht per kilo. If the government really wants to help the farmers of Isaan, they should lower the taxes on ethanol and raise it on oil based fuels and make sure the farmer gets a fair price for their cassava.

[rice555]

Hello All, this was on 4/30/12 on my way back from Korat Immigration,

signs at the mills varied Bt. .25.

rice555

[somo]

From the information I could find on the internet it seems that ethanol made from cassava in Thailand if the price of fresh cassava roots (not dried) is 3 baht per kilogram would cost about 28.01 per litre. I believe this price is very competitive with fuel from crude oil, therefore there is no economic reason that a farmer should not be able to get at least 2.5 baht per kilo. If the government really wants to help the farmers of Isaan, they should lower the taxes on ethanol and raise it on oil based fuels and make sure the farmer gets a fair price for their cassava.

Khonwan posted above that from Oct this year ethanol production will hopefully be supporting the price of cassava again. Unfortunately he has given up on this forum (due to some prats) so we won't be getting any more info on this from him. Just hope he is right.