Lamyai Price: Down, Down, Down

[JR Texas]

Well, last September the wife decided to let her father manage a lamyai orchard w/ 86 huge lamyai trees near Pong Nam Ron (Chantaburi).

Trimming to harvest was supposed to take seven months. We did harvest 20% in May. The price was about 40/kilo.

The remaining 80% were too small to harvest (no doubt because of bad farm management.........he took the money and did nothing with it to improve the lamyai).

Now we are about to harvest again........and the price, last time I looked as 4/kilo.........MAJOR DROP!

Any chance the price will go up again soon or are we screwed?

[jerrylee]

Well, last September the wife decided to let her father manage a lamyai orchard w/ 86 huge lamyai trees near Pong Nam Ron (Chantaburi).

Trimming to harvest was supposed to take seven months. We did harvest 20% in May. The price was about 40/kilo.

The remaining 80% were too small to harvest (no doubt because of bad farm management.........he took the money and did nothing with it to improve the lamyai).

Now we are about to harvest again........and the price, last time I looked as 4/kilo.........MAJOR DROP!

Any chance the price will go up again soon or are we screwed?

Other than bad farm management there appears to be a total "cover-up" on market intelligence,

the chinese being the main consumer of the product uses it also for medicinal purposes,

there are huge lamyai farms on long term lease to the chinese in Laos for many years already !!

How about turning it into gel for fruit drinks? the online marketplace buys them for "mixed fruits"?,

I bet fruit gels are not subject to market price of 4 bht a kilo!

[slapout]

The early crop was probably from chemically treated trees for early bloom/set. Thus the later maturing fruit/trees were probably not treated. That is one scenario. Do you have real record of fruit sold, weight. number of trees harvested, etc? May to August from first picking to last picking, off of the same tree is a new one on me...... Best price I have heard of in last 2 months in Lampun area was 15 baht/kilo and that was in discussion stage. Friend of mine in Ma Tang area got 8 baht/kilo 2 week ago and was offered 5 baht/kilo for second picking, to be done this week. There are some real wheelers and dealers out there. A shot answer to your question, probably no price increase as the market is saturated with the new harvest.

[bojo]

Seems like fruit prices are really low this year.

Last year Lychees kerbside we're around 50b a Kilo and this year anything from 15/25.

Alot of farmers didn't even harvest this year as the labour and transport costs outweighed the market price almost. Such a waste.

Regards Bojo

[jubby]

We were getting 11 baht kilo last week but had an early crop. But yes the price has plumetted this week as it usually does. Profit covered half of the costs of maintenance of the land so its total folly. Lots of Farmers taking out the Lamyai and replacing with Rubber Trees around our way. I believe lamyai makes excellent Charcoal Wood ;-) . For the vast majority of Farmers here its just about survival let alone subsistence. We also have some other fruit , don't know the name but its 3 baht per kilo, we just don't bother picking it. The Middleman will be making huge profits though I suspect as usual. Covering Half of south east Asia in rubber trees will result in the same thing a few years down the line I suspect even though I'm often told it has an International market. I wonder what the next big thing will be.

[Gary A]

My wife recruits labor from her friends to help with her rice planting. In exchange for their labor, the wife helps them. This week she is helping with a friend's lumyai harvest. Her friend is getting between four and five baht a kilo. If her friend had to pay for labor, it would hardly be worth harvesting.

[slapout]

Has anyone approached the use of fruit as a fertilizer/soil conditioner? In my attempts at finding published info on this, I came up with a blank. When the price for a product gets so low that you lose money on harvest and transport we look for alternatives. The seed from lamyai may make good ammo for catapults, not sure of size of market though. OK time for a beer.

[JR Texas]

Has anyone approached the use of fruit as a fertilizer/soil conditioner? In my attempts at finding published info on this, I came up with a blank. When the price for a product gets so low that you lose money on harvest and transport we look for alternatives. The seed from lamyai may make good ammo for catapults, not sure of size of market though. OK time for a beer.

Thanks.......looks like we are screwed. Never again.......one time is enough to learn not to trust Thais to manage anything. He the farm manager performed his job properly, we would have harvested all of it two months ago at a much higher price.

I think the prices vary considerably in Thailand depending on the region........in and around Chiang Mai I think the price is low compared to around Chantaburi.........not sure though.

[Samuian]

down south it's simply the same, must say haven't seen such a bumper crop in many years!

It's way through all fruits mangosteen, rambutan, Longan, name it - except "oranges"... I heard - aren't there big chin. owned orchards in the north - chiang mai area?

is it a result of pushing production with cheap credits...?

Edited July 29, 2009 by Samuian

[Gary A]

I told my wife that if she saw any nice big oranges to buy some for me. She came home from the market with no oranges. She said that small half rotten oranges were 50 baht per kilo.

What kind of conditions do you need to grow oranges?

[JR Texas]

I told my wife that if she saw any nice big oranges to buy some for me. She came home from the market with no oranges. She said that small half rotten oranges were 50 baht per kilo.

What kind of conditions do you need to grow oranges?

My wife's father just told her that THEY (the companies that receive/purchase lamyai) are not receiving/purchasing it anymore around Chantaburi. Is this true? If so, it is impossible to sell lamyai that is about ready to be harvested? This is incredible. I am having trouble even believing this.

[Gary A]

I was talking today with a guy whose wife has about 20 rai of lumyai. Today her regular buyer upped her price to ten baht per kilo. She may make a few baht yet.

[JR Texas]

I was talking today with a guy whose wife has about 20 rai of lumyai. Today her regular buyer upped her price to ten baht per kilo. She may make a few baht yet.

Can you tell me what city or province you are talking about?

What I need to know is about Chantaburi Province, around Pong Nam Ron.

Are the receivers/buyers not receiving/buying lamyai?

If so, is this normal? And do you think that in one month they will be receiving/buying again?

Thanks.

Oh......I am seeing the price of lamyai increase in the markets with each week.........that made me think the purchase price was going up slightly. A few weeks ago it had dropped all the way to 4 baht per kilo (three months ago it was 35-40 baht per kilo around Pong Nam Ron).

[Black Belt]

I helped harvest and sell lumyai outside Lampang last year. All the buyers had size sorting machines. AA were generally about 23 thb per kg, A were about 14, B were about 9, C were about 4, and a few percent dropped out the bottom and were thrown away. I was told that the price last year was very unusual, reflecting reduced demand due to Covid. Normally the price for AA is 35 - 40 thb per kg.