My Wife Has Inherited Some Rice Fields...........

[bow]

My wife has inherited some rice fields in her home village from her mother.

Nobody has grown anything on these fields for at least 10 - 15 years, maybe longer. But apparantly there is nothing wrong with the soil or anything like that. You just need lot's of water and you can start growing something today.

Have I any experience ? No, I am a city boy.

Can I use the people in the village ? No, they would see me as an ATM on legs and con me in every possible way.

Please, tell me to drop this issue like a hot potato: Tell me that I don' t want to go down this road.

[cognos]

you could grow mangoes..doc mai seems to be the best variety of the many varieties. In Vancouver this week I bought 2 ( large, perfect ones) for almost 500 baht..no shiite..but they are aroi mak mak. I know they aren't in season now, but they will be in April, and I am sure they won't be much cheaper then either

[cognos]

I meant almost $15 Canadian ( for only 2 doc mai variety mangoes), which is about 500 baht. They only import the best at that outrageous price.

[Somrak]

Let your wife grow something on this land. Start smal and test some plants - Pleas no eucalypustrees, they will destroy the land!

so, she will have something to do and this will make her happy. Do not expect any return, but it will not cost you much too.

Good luck.

[gotlost]

My wife has inherited some rice fields in her home village from her mother.

Nobody has grown anything on these fields for at least 10 - 15 years, maybe longer. But apparantly there is nothing wrong with the soil or anything like that. You just need lot's of water and you can start growing something today.

Have I any experience ? No, I am a city boy.

Can I use the people in the village ? No, they would see me as an ATM on legs and con me in every possible way.

Please, tell me to drop this issue like a hot potato: Tell me that I don' t want to go down this road.

You don't say how many ria or location. Assuming your in Issan with only the seasonal rains and no other source of water you well need a well, cost 15,000-100,000bt and now pay the electric bill. The well is generally good for 8 Ari. If you grow rice the cost is approximately 2,000 bt per rai, till, fertilizer, labor. Yield per rai is around 4 ea 100 kg bags after drying about 80kg per bag . With the government guarantee this year of 15bt a kg thats 4800bt a rai less expenses. Other options are sugarcane about the same cost and return. Rubber tress a little bit higher return but not much. Potatoes and corn 4-6bt a kg. And yes eucalyptus trees. I disagree with a response on this thread. For low maintenance and out lay about the same return as rice, takes about 3 to 5 years for harvest, Clear the trees let land set one year and grow. You wont grow any thing with it but I find it does not kill the soil or deplete water. As for being taken by the locals that well depend on you and your wife. My wifes family and friends do not I repeat do not take advantage of me. Why her family are not that kind and my wife will not allow it. Let the wife take care of the business not you. With all this said only put in what you are willing to walk away from. Wish you all the luck.

[Maizefarmer]

My wife has inherited some rice fields in her home village from her mother.

Nobody has grown anything on these fields for at least 10 - 15 years, maybe longer. But apparantly there is nothing wrong with the soil or anything like that. You just need lot's of water and you can start growing something today.

Have I any experience ? No, I am a city boy.

Can I use the people in the village ? No, they would see me as an ATM on legs and con me in every possible way.

Please, tell me to drop this issue like a hot potato: Tell me that I don' t want to go down this road.

Yup .... you want to avoid it like the plauge - ask yourself why its been sitting idle for the last 10years if it has so much to offer

[Thongkorn]

My wife has inherited some rice fields in her home village from her mother.

Nobody has grown anything on these fields for at least 10 - 15 years, maybe longer. But apparently there is nothing wrong with the soil or anything like that. You just need lot's of water and you can start growing something today.

Have I any experience ? No, I am a city boy.

Can I use the people in the village ? No, they would see me as an ATM on legs and con me in every possible way.

Please, tell me to drop this issue like a hot potato: Tell me that I don' t want to go down this road.

You don't say how many ria or location. Assuming your in Issan with only the seasonal rains and no other source of water you well need a well, cost 15,000-100,000bt and now pay the electric bill. The well is generally good for 8 Ari. If you grow rice the cost is approximately 2,000 bt per rai, till, fertilizer, labor. Yield per rai is around 4 ea 100 kg bags after drying about 80kg per bag . With the government guarantee this year of 15bt a kg thats 4800bt a rai less expenses. Other options are sugarcane about the same cost and return. Rubber tress a little bit higher return but not much. Potatoes and corn 4-6bt a kg. And yes eucalyptus trees. I disagree with a response on this thread. For low maintenance and out lay about the same return as rice, takes about 3 to 5 years for harvest, Clear the trees let land set one year and grow. You wont grow any thing with it but I find it does not kill the soil or deplete water. As for being taken by the locals that well depend on you and your wife. My wifes family and friends do not I repeat do not take advantage of me. Why her family are not that kind and my wife will not allow it. Let the wife take care of the business not you. With all this said only put in what you are willing to walk away from. Wish you all the luck.

Obviously an Intelligent poster in the Know, Gotlost.

Its sad that people cannot turn around Situations like this , Mainly because Things are out of control of the people or person trying to make a little , And also putting back something into the local area and community. The prices are set and controlled by the Government , you would think that they would have some incentive to make people invest in this sort of project,It would help Thailand and Thai people, I am not getting political you would think things like this would be common sense. good luck bow ,

Edited October 24, 2009 by Thongkorn

[473geo]

What if the land is fast draining?.........perhaps the pump would have to run too often to make the harvest profitable.......

[bow]

Thank you for your practical and usefull answers (and I am not being sarcastic).

I have tried to check things out a bit. It seems that the main problem is the water supply. I think there is a some sort of irrigation pond close to the village, but the locals don't seem to use it. I'll try to find out what the catch is.

As for drilling a well, that could be done quite easily. The reason the locals don't drill wells all over the place is that people with that sort of capital invest their money in other things, not in farming

[harrry]

My suggestion is to see if someone will share crop it. If they won't it obviously isnt worth it.

[slapout]

You have been told once and I will parrot maizefamer.If land has not been used for 10 to 15 years it is not rice paddy nor will it qualify as farm land until the time, effort and money have been committed to making it farm land in the first sense.

[Maizefarmer]

Thank you for your practical and usefull answers (and I am not being sarcastic).

I have tried to check things out a bit. It seems that the main problem is the water supply. I think there is a some sort of irrigation pond close to the village, but the locals don't seem to use it. I'll try to find out what the catch is.

As for drilling a well, that could be done quite easily. The reason the locals don't drill wells all over the place is that people with that sort of capital invest their money in other things, not in farming

... and that is always the big issue in this climate we have in Thailand: water avalibility and irrigation costss; the issue with a well is how deep it has to go to produce the flow rate needed to support whatever type of farming is going to be undertaken i.e. cost - the deeper it is the more energy is required to lift the water and therefore the more is will cost and the less margin is left to make a profit on.

Remember, farming is a business like any other: it needs capital to set up, it needs a business plan, it needs labour and time ect ect etc ......... fail to factor in one part of the equation correctly and it fast costs more to run than it earns - very fast.

I'd say, if you want to give it a go on a "hobby" basis, go for it (something low maintenence e.g. mangoes, papapya or similar - something which can look aftr its self largely), but as a business venture I refer you to all the points in the above paragraph.

[bow]

I have continued to look into things, inspired by all these answers.

I agree that as a business, aimed at making a profit, it is madness. But as a hobby, aimed at giving my wife something to do, maybe.

I realize I will never get the start-up costs, maybe 80.000 - 120.000 back. But with luck, we might break even once we have got started. If can give my wife a hobby that makes her occupied and happy for 100.000, that is not too bad. Some of her other hobbies are also expensive.

I found an irrigation pond, but it is not some sort of free for all. You can't just start taking water out of it. You need all sorts of permissions and permits. There is a long list of people that needs to be paid/paid off before you can start using the water. Then, as an added complication, the pond seems to "belong to" a neighbouring villige, which means that the village head in that village must to be paid off. I know this guy, he will come back every month and threaten to cut the water supply, unless you give him more money. The pond is out.

I have had a look at what people in the area grows. In my wife's village it is sticky rice only. They refuse to grow anything else. In other villages they also grow sugarcane and pineapple. What is the connection between sticky rice, sugar cane and pineapple ? Probably none, this is Thailand, things are not always done according to logic and reason.

I asked my wife what she knows about farming. She knows everything about growing rice, every step, every little detail. But she gets rather vague if you ask her about other things. She likes the idea of going to the market with a truck full of pineapple, but she knows no details about the steps before that.

[ozzydom]

Rice paddy is usually unsuitable for other farming pursuits without major earthworks, and paddy unused for long periods as you suggest would indicate a definate problem with the land,water supply etc.

Check with the locals as to whether they would be prepared to lease the land for a rice crop, if no interest then you have your answer.

A hobby for your wife which continually loses money does not lead to a happy woman but rather a frustrated and unhappy one.

[seaeagle]

Do what 'normal' people would do to raise the capital needed.............sell a parcel of the land, get some cash, then invest that into the irrigation etc. for the remaining land.

That's called 'business', and your wife will learn from it, rather than just expect someone else (ie YOU) to put up money in the first place which, as you say, you'll never see again.

Thais need to learn many things, but one main thing is "choice". Here, the choice is to keep the land, and watch it do nothing. Or sell a bit of it, and have a go at developing the rest.

It's her inheritance - let the inheritance work for her.

[Maizefarmer]

Hey Bow - can't you guys get planning permission to build cheap housing on it (raised/stilted timber frame type) ?

Even with the market as bad as it is (land market, that is) if the land has a Chanote title (i.e. your wife owns it lock stock and barrel - and been inherited suggests that there is no overhanging mortgage(?)), I would have thought you should be able to get somewhere around 30% from the bank (against the value of the land) to build cheap housing.

???

[bow]

Hey Bow - can't you guys get planning permission to build cheap housing on it (raised/stilted timber frame type) ?

Even with the market as bad as it is (land market, that is) if the land has a Chanote title (i.e. your wife owns it lock stock and barrel - and been inherited suggests that there is no overhanging mortgage(?)), I would have thought you should be able to get somewhere around 30% from the bank (against the value of the land) to build cheap housing.

???

Thanks, this is an interesting answer. I would like to comment on it.

Yes, she has all the documents. The people in my wife's village are very proud of the fact that they own their land, and have the best documents there is, to prove it. (I will not go into the Thai code names for various sorts of land documents.)

There is, in the village, almost a taboo to build on land that is suitable for agriculture (if you have enugh water). The villagers always build on land that is not suitable for growing things.

This is a large village, about 5 km from the main town in the district, it might work in theory. It don't think it has ever been done, in this part of the nort-east, to build housing for outsiders, inside an old village. Developers, big and small, always build at least 1 km away from the nearest old village. They like to create a new village.

Then, of course, it all falls on the fact that I need to create a hobby for my wife and she would not like the idea of a housing development at all, it would not be "sanuk".

Edited October 27, 2009 by bow

[manjara]

You say there is an irrigation pond, have you checked out how your land is set up to collect water? For about 30k you could get a reasonable sized pond dug on your land, then during the rainy season it fills up and you will have enough water (assuming the land retains the water, most of the soil here is pretty clay) to service quite a bit of rice paddy.

It has the added benefit that you can put fish in it and grow bananas or some other fruit around the edge, so more 'sanuk'.

We dug one on my wifes land (near Ngao) and we often see Elephant footprints around it, though I have yet to see the animals on the land, only further up the hill in the forested area. Ours is about 25m square (water more than 2m deep) and my wife wants to double the size now.

Good Luck!

[seaeagle]

"it all falls on the fact that I need to create a hobby for my wife"

"I need", "I need", "I need"...........No, man! It should be "she needs............for herself".

Let her work it out, make the mistakes herself, and take the plaudits herself. I can guarantee that, if it all goes wrong, you'll be asked to offer some kind of bail out for your mistake.

Guide, but do not hold her hand to much on this project.