Hi again,

my brother inlaw has just sign with a company to grow tagu trees. It all sounds very good? They dig a well supply trees fertaliser, support, and pay you for 3 years 22,000b for every field you plant!! have to pay back after you harvest the trees after 5 years! They say they will pay 3,000b if you can grow tree to a circumferance of 150cm at 1 meter tall. But are very vague as to what they will do if you only achieve 100cm? I am tempted but with language barrier i cant get the info i require to make a judgement. Cant tell you the name of the company for the same reason.

I am unable to find a website in english, although there are many in thai. If anyone has dealings with a similar company or can enlighten me i would be very grateful.

Many thanks Gary

I think the general consensous is not to get involed in any type of contract farming, putting it bluntly, they have you by the the "short ones" im sure other farmers will confirm this.

I think the general consensous is not to get involed in any type of contract farming, putting it bluntly, they have you by the the "short ones" im sure other farmers will confirm this.

5yrs is a very short growth time. They seem to be controlling all the variables, with you taking all the risk. Sounds like they may end up with some cheap trees after you have paid off the debt. Do the sums, it may be better to invest in another crop with a faster turn around on your money.

Hi again,

my brother inlaw has just sign with a company to grow tagu trees. It all sounds very good? They dig a well supply trees fertaliser, support, and pay you for 3 years 22,000b for every field you plant!! have to pay back after you harvest the trees after 5 years! They say they will pay 3,000b if you can grow tree to a circumferance of 150cm at 1 meter tall. But are very vague as to what they will do if you only achieve 100cm? I am tempted but with language barrier i cant get the info i require to make a judgement. Cant tell you the name of the company for the same reason.

I am unable to find a website in english, although there are many in thai. If anyone has dealings with a similar company or can enlighten me i would be very grateful.

Many thanks Gary

Hi Gary

Search for "Tagoo"; you will find some information in English. We planted 1,500 trees ten months ago whilst on one of my 3-months visits to LOS and requested my in-laws to regularly water them; used cow manua as fertilizer when planting. Judging from the different hights of the trees, some are 6 foot others only 2 as seen during my last visit, the watering job must have been a disaster. To reach a circumferance of 150 cm, which translates into a diameter of 48 cm, I am pretty sure this will not be polsible in 5 years. In fact, the internet sites I visited refer to 110 cm circumf. or 35 cm diameter growth in that time. I think also this figure is difficult to obtain in five years, although the tagoo is one of the fastest growing indegineous trees. As Lickey said, I would be careful with contract farming and would not put all eggs in one basket. The wood itself can be compared with our European beach tree, though it is lighter in color and its density is lower. The wood is used for making furniture, for the paper industry etc. In fact, I saw an office building covered in tagoo planks.

Hi Gary

Search for "Tagoo"; you will find some information in English. We planted 1,500 trees ten months ago whilst on one of my 3-months visits to LOS and requested my in-laws to regularly water them; used cow manua as fertilizer when planting. Judging from the different hights of the trees, some are 6 foot others only 2 as seen during my last visit, the watering job must have been a disaster. To reach a circumferance of 150 cm, which translates into a diameter of 48 cm, I am pretty sure this will not be polsible in 5 years. In fact, the internet sites I visited refer to 110 cm circumf. or 35 cm diameter growth in that time. I think also this figure is difficult to obtain in five years, although the tagoo is one of the fastest growing indegineous trees. As Lickey said, I would be careful with contract farming and would not put all eggs in one basket. The wood itself can be compared with our European beach tree, though it is lighter in color and its density is lower. The wood is used for making furniture, for the paper industry etc. In fact, I saw an office building covered in tagoo planks.

What is your plan for your 1500 trees? Do you have a target price you are hoping for in 5 years or is this a longer tree cycle? What do you recommend for a feeding and irrigation schedule?

Thanks, Doug