A quick question for those that are familiar with rice farming in Thailand. My wife's family has just finished harvesting rice in Buriram, as most and are storing the rice in a hut, but much of the rice is laying loose. Wouldn't it be better to store it in Gunny sacks (50 or 80 kg size)? They claim that these bags are too expensive.

Anyone know how much a rice gunny sack costs? Couldn't be more then 150 baht for one bag, could it?

Yes that is expensive, not for a Farang, but for a poor Thai Farmer that is very expensive especially if you need 100 or more.

Rice bags are 20 baht each in Prasat. My wife bought 300 last year for her business. One reason that they store it not in the bag is to let the moisture evaporate. Rice is graded on its moisture content. The higher the moisture the less per kilo they receive.

Try white polyester type sacks - around Baht 23 - 28 each (new) and about Baht 8 -11 (used - depending on condition, meaning: holes!!") - they're not as good as the real McCoy gunny bags (which will last for years and years if treated with care), but they'll do.

As gotlost says - better stored loose in bulk. Store in sacks if you are retailing (i.e. selling the stuff on a regular basis) - keeps better stored loose.

Thanks for the responses. After talking with the wifes family more, found out what you guys said, store the rice loose, is exactly what they want to do and is the right way to do it. At some point, they will want to seel it and I guess they will need some sort of bags then. Thanks again.

Try white polyester type sacks - around Baht 23 - 28 each (new) and about Baht 8 -11 (used - depending on condition, meaning: holes!!") - they're not as good as the real McCoy gunny bags (which will last for years and years if treated with care), but they'll do.

As gotlost says - better stored loose in bulk. Store in sacks if you are retailing (i.e. selling the stuff on a regular basis) - keeps better stored loose.

Maize and All,

New polyester bags (50kg)from Roi-et area only 8-Baht each.

I can guarantee this price as I just bought 200.

For us we use these bags around three seasons or three years, as we only do rice once per year, I can't ask for more from an 8 Baht bag.

Keeps better stored loose, well in my opinion this is just not practical.

There is no advantage for me here so not practical to change are ways.

Regards

C-sip

I do contract harvesting and buy a few thousand sacks/year, we normally get sacks which have been used for sugar at Bt5 to 6 each. We fill them with customers' rice and they empty them for drying and are supposed to return them, so they get heavy use each year and many "go missing". Most of our customers store loose in small sheds on stilts on netting.