Cassava Crop.

[damo]

Hi Guys.

To begin with apart from hydroponics, I know little about farming, and have never farmed myself. My wifes family owns some land, about 16 rai. It had sugar cane on it last year, that crop was grown by a leasee. The land is basicly cleared with a gentle slope. The only water available is rain. This year the FIL is thinking cashews or maybe teak. Teak is boring, takes a long time to grow, cashews I know nothing about. Casava on the other hand is interesting from the point that no-one in our region (25kms north of Uttaradit) is growing it up here. I would like my FIL to try Casava, he allready has a tractor and has been a farmer/ bush mechanic all his life. From what I read Cassava is a good money earner, hardy, not too hands on or time consuming.

What I enqure is 1: Is the site as mentioned suitable?

2: What is the crop cycle? from when to when?

3:What would I expect to pay for enough cuttings to propogate 16 rai?

4:Am I on the right track?

I will have no personal gain apart from hopefully seeing my inlaws financilly successful off thier land, I may contribute to the costs of cuttings and diesel to prep the land but apart from that I will be outlaying/ contributing verry little.

So please guys, Is thierr anything that I may have missed?

Damo...

[Khonwan]

Hi Damo

1: The site may not be suitable from the point of view that you say no other farmers in the area are growing cassava. If this is true, you will then not have a purchaser/processor within a reasonably economic distance for you to transport your tubers.

2-4: Read my pinned "Growing Cassava in Thailand" thread for these answers.

Rgds

Khonwan

Edited September 1, 2008 by Khonwan

[pnustedt]

This year the FIL is thinking cashews or maybe teak. Teak is boring, takes a long time to grow, cashews I know nothing about. Casava on the other hand is interesting from the point that no-one in our region (25kms north of Uttaradit) is growing it up here. I would like my FIL to try Casava, he allready has a tractor and has been a farmer/ bush mechanic all his life. From what I read Cassava is a good money earner, hardy, not too hands on or time consuming.

Why not grow both cashews and cassava? I started a cashew orchard this year and planted four rows of cassava between each row of cashew - leaving good space for the cashews to grow. I should be able to grow cassava for perhaps three years, reducing the number of rows of cassava planted as the cashews grow. By that time I should start harvesting the cashews. I've also done a similar thing with palms (for palm oil) interspersed with cassava.