Growing Cassava In Thailand

[CrazyKid]

An interesting article that may apply to Thailand

"An unlisted Dutch-based company called DADTCO has developed a processing method for cassava and dispatches a mobile unit with the equipment to rural villages, so farmers don't have to harvest their crop until it arrives."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/07/us-africa-money-idUSBRE8561C820120607

[slapout]

Caught a short article in another newspaper yesterday. The government program for price support did an inventory and several million tons of cassava has gone missing from storage facilities.

This seems to be a part of every storage program that is put forth in this country.I guess the bright side for the farmer, it will be hard to oversupply the market via government stockpiles/excess product as it has disappeared.

[Issangeorge]

Could someone tell me how long it would take one person to plant one rai of Cassava stems? Thank you.

[loong]

Could someone tell me how long it would take one person to plant one rai of Cassava stems? Thank you.

Including cutting and soaking in hormone etc about 1 and a half days as long as the soil is loose enough to be able to push them in easily

[somo]

Could someone tell me how long it would take one person to plant one rai of Cassava stems? Thank you.

Including cutting and soaking in hormone etc about 1 and a half days as long as the soil is loose enough to be able to push them in easily

I budget 400 Baht/rai which equates to 2 workers for one day so one person i would allow them 2 days.

This however includes the cost of transport and water.

[rice555]

Hello All, this is coming up next month in Korat.

rice555

[somo]

That's this month I think. starts in 6 days according to the poster

[Michael Hare]

I came to Thailand in 1974 when cassava was just starting in Thailand and in particular Isarn. You should have seen the cutting down of forests to plant this unforgiving crop.

I have read the above posts about prices and government interference.

I am pleased that I work with forage seeds, which are a gentle cash crop, giving guaranteed prices to the good farmers, year in and year out. In one village, I have contracted farmers for 19 straight years in a row. Never a break. Cash paid out on the day the seeds are sold.

This year we have over 1800 farmers on contract

[rice555]

Hello All, soho, I was having a senior moment with the date.

rice555

[somo]

Hello All, soho, I was having a senior moment with the date.

rice555

We all have them

My wife spotted it not me when i suggested we go. Unfortunately can't go this month though

[BSJ]

Hi folks, my wife and I are heading up country next year, all being well, and I am getting interested in corn and cassava as cash crops. Common rice I am guessing is heading towards the abyss as the pledging scheme moves further and further into a monumental disaster. So for me no paddy fields in the future!

We will be in the area East of Sak Lek not far from the Phitsanulok/Petchabun border in Noen Maplang district.

Both my brother-in-law grow corn there so there is some advice available...after translation!

My wife has 3 plots with 45 rai. Not much by Aussie standards but there maybe opportunities to rent more land.

I am wondering how things work here.

Can I trade freely between provinces? Like, grow corn or cassava in Phitsanulok and sell it to someone across in Petchabun.

And like sugar cane from farm to mill, is there any restriction on the distance from the property to the starch/ethanol producer?

[Issangeorge]

I can't answer those questions, but my wife grows cassava and at best it's a break even proposition. Her yeild is just too low and her labour costs too high.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[BSJ]

I can't answer those questions, but my wife grows cassava and at best it's a break even proposition. Her yeild is just too low and her labour costs too high.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Hi IssanGeorge, maybe it's time to look at growing something else!

[Issangeorge]

Talk to my wife. If she would plant cassava the proper way perhaps the yield would be higher and she would make a profit, but I'm not a farmer so what do I know.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[somo]

BSJ

It's your corn/casssava so you can sell wherever you like but why would you want to incur
the extra transport costs? There is ulnlikely to be much difference in price wherever you sell.
Done properly cassava is very profitable. Excluding the cost of the land which you have anyway you can
make 4-5K Baht/rai/year for an investment of around 5k in labour and material so getting on for a
100% return
The key is to do it properly and not skimp on fertilizerand weed killing.

[Mobaan]

BSJ

It's your corn/casssava so you can sell wherever you like but why would you want to incur

the extra transport costs? There is ulnlikely to be much difference in price wherever you sell.

Done properly cassava is very profitable. Excluding the cost of the land which you have anyway you can

make 4-5K Baht/rai/year for an investment of around 5k in labour and material so getting on for a

100% return

The key is to do it properly and not skimp on fertilizerand weed killing.

Your numbers don't add up !!!!

[somo]

BSJ

It's your corn/casssava so you can sell wherever you like but why would you want to incur

the extra transport costs? There is ulnlikely to be much difference in price wherever you sell.

Done properly cassava is very profitable. Excluding the cost of the land which you have anyway you can

make 4-5K Baht/rai/year for an investment of around 5k in labour and material so getting on for a

100% return

The key is to do it properly and not skimp on fertilizerand weed killing.

Your numbers don't add up !!!!

They do for me:) What do you feel is wrong?

[loong]

BSJ

It's your corn/casssava so you can sell wherever you like but why would you want to incur

the extra transport costs? There is ulnlikely to be much difference in price wherever you sell.

Done properly cassava is very profitable. Excluding the cost of the land which you have anyway you can

make 4-5K Baht/rai/year for an investment of around 5k in labour and material so getting on for a

100% return

The key is to do it properly and not skimp on fertilizerand weed killing.

Your numbers don't add up !!!!

I can't blame you for not reading the whole thread. It is rather large after all.

If you had read the thread, you will have witnessed Somo's progression from a know-nothing to a person with experience.

Do not doubt his figures, they come from his experience.

The only thing that I disagree with from Somo's post -

"The key is to do it properly and not skimp on fertilizer and weed killing."

although Somo is right, I feel that the major key is to have a competent workforce.

I didn't and I lost money.

[Mobaan]

BSJ

It's your corn/casssava so you can sell wherever you like but why would you want to incur

the extra transport costs? There is ulnlikely to be much difference in price wherever you sell.

Done properly cassava is very profitable. Excluding the cost of the land which you have anyway you can

make 4-5K Baht/rai/year for an investment of around 5k in labour and material so getting on for a

100% return

The key is to do it properly and not skimp on fertilizerand weed killing.

Your numbers don't add up !!!!

They do for me:) What do you feel is wrong?

So you are spending "5 k in labour and materials" and make" 4-5k Baht/rai/year "-I had a drink or two ,but I still do not see the 100 % return-at best you are breaking even.!! And no return on the land investment ??? That is no proper accounting in my book.

Or am I missing something ?

[tingtong]

i think sometimes back in the past, both Somo, and KhonWan was kind to share quite detailed numbers about cassava, and the return...

one memorable part was that 18 months cassava makes lot more than 12 months harvest....

of course, it is possible to annualise such return too, for the sake of comparison, right?

maybe search back a bit in the topic, i believe their numbers achievable.

as for the return on land...hm, somehow price seem to go up year after year, if nothing else, about the rate of inflation ( in Thailand a lot more than that)...but vs. return of what? 3% bank interest?

[loong]

BSJ

It's your corn/casssava so you can sell wherever you like but why would you want to incur

the extra transport costs? There is ulnlikely to be much difference in price wherever you sell.

Done properly cassava is very profitable. Excluding the cost of the land which you have anyway you can

make 4-5K Baht/rai/year for an investment of around 5k in labour and material so getting on for a

100% return

The key is to do it properly and not skimp on fertilizerand weed killing.

Your numbers don't add up !!!!

They do for me:) What do you feel is wrong?

So you are spending "5 k in labour and materials" and make" 4-5k Baht/rai/year "-I had a drink or two ,but I still do not see the 100 % return-at best you are breaking even.!! And no return on the land investment ??? That is no proper accounting in my book.

Or am I missing something ?

Yes, you are missing something, possibly because you don't realise that when English speakers say "make", they are referring to profit.

5,000 Bt investment

5,000 Bt Plus 4-5,000 gross return

4-5,000 profit for an initial investment of 5,000.

Edited October 11, 2013 by loong

[BSJ]

If mANAGED properly on reasonable land I see no reason why the claims of 5-6 tonnes to the rai are not achievable. With a market price of 2.5 - 3.0 baht/kg worst case scenario is 12500 baht/rai.

Of course the first year profit will be lower...but even so some profit should be garnered from the first crop.

[loong]

If mANAGED properly on reasonable land I see no reason why the claims of 5-6 tonnes to the rai are not achievable. With a market price of 2.5 - 3.0 baht/kg worst case scenario is 12500 baht/rai.

Of course the first year profit will be lower...but even so some profit should be garnered from the first crop.

That is not the worst case scenario.

You cannot be sure what the price will be at harvest time

Earlier this year we got 1.9 Bt/Kilo minus an additional 10%, so actually 1.71 Baht.

[nev]

I came to Thailand in 1974 when cassava was just starting in Thailand and in particular Isarn. You should have seen the cutting down of forests to plant this unforgiving crop.

I have read the above posts about prices and government interference.

I am pleased that I work with forage seeds, which are a gentle cash crop, giving guaranteed prices to the good farmers, year in and year out. In one village, I have contracted farmers for 19 straight years in a row. Never a break. Cash paid out on the day the seeds are sold.

This year we have over 1800 farmers on contract

Can you enlighten me on what forage seeds are?

[Issangeorge]

Yes what are forage seeds and how can I become a contract farmer?

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[BSJ]

If mANAGED properly on reasonable land I see no reason why the claims of 5-6 tonnes to the rai are not achievable. With a market price of 2.5 - 3.0 baht/kg worst case scenario is 12500 baht/rai.

Of course the first year profit will be lower...but even so some profit should be garnered from the first crop.

That is not the worst case scenario.

You cannot be sure what the price will be at harvest time

Earlier this year we got 1.9 Bt/Kilo minus an additional 10%, so actually 1.71 Baht.

That's nasty! You didn't have a forward contract at a better price!

Corn is starting to look better all the time.

Edited October 25, 2013 by BSJ

[loong]

If mANAGED properly on reasonable land I see no reason why the claims of 5-6 tonnes to the rai are not achievable. With a market price of 2.5 - 3.0 baht/kg worst case scenario is 12500 baht/rai.

Of course the first year profit will be lower...but even so some profit should be garnered from the first crop.

That is not the worst case scenario.

You cannot be sure what the price will be at harvest time

Earlier this year we got 1.9 Bt/Kilo minus an additional 10%, so actually 1.71 Baht.

That's nasty! You didn't have a forward contract at a better price!

Corn is starting to look better all the time.

I don't know of anyone that gets a forward contract.

Anyway, we had to harvest earlier than we wanted because the owner of the land increased the rent with no notice.

Because of the lack of rain last year, we suffered a loss.

[somo]

If mANAGED properly on reasonable land I see no reason why the claims of 5-6 tonnes to the rai are not achievable. With a market price of 2.5 - 3.0 baht/kg worst case scenario is 12500 baht/rai.

Of course the first year profit will be lower...but even so some profit should be garnered from the first crop.

That is not the worst case scenario.

You cannot be sure what the price will be at harvest time

Earlier this year we got 1.9 Bt/Kilo minus an additional 10%, so actually 1.71 Baht.

That's nasty! You didn't have a forward contract at a better price!

Corn is starting to look better all the time.

I don't know of anyone that gets a forward contract.

Anyway, we had to harvest earlier than we wanted because the owner of the land increased the rent with no notice.

Because of the lack of rain last year, we suffered a loss.

Farming is strewn with unpredictables and part of being successful is learning how to manage them.

Price is a big one so learning how to take advantage of the fluctuatuions in it is important.

Being in a situation where you are forced to harvest is potentially devestating. It is also why

many Thai villagers suffer. We farangs usulallly can wait for a decent price and also extend the growing cycle

to a more economical length if needs be. Doing so can also offset lack of rain another big time variable.

Flexibility is very important when dealing with whatever nature throws at you and should be builtinto your business plan.

No one offers a forward price for cassava. I have heard of villagers selling their crop for cash now to be harvested later but that is only because they are desperate.

Corn in my area seems a loser compared to cassava. Those in our village who have tried it have given up and gone back to cassava.

[nev]

Price out here between khonkaen and banphai is 2.50 to 2.65/kilo, seed is being sold between 500 to 1000 baht a rai, we try not pay more 500 baht a rai, yesterday went to look seed wanted 650/rai and a few days earlier we got 3 rai free which was better than being offered so declined.

[fish58]

Hi,

What hormone trade do you take ? and how many root do you have ?

Thanks