2 Rai To Plant; What With?

[isanbirder]

We have suddenly found ourselves with 2 rai of rice paddy, ready ploughed; what shall we do with it? It's next to our house in Buriram... six months rain, six months drought... and this year that means that even the irrigation ditches are bone dry.

It's not worth planting rice because the plot is too small. I thought of mango trees, but it's too close to the village, and the fruit would not survive long enough for us to harvest. My main idea was eucalyptus, which I gather means 5 years before you get a crop. But eucalyptus ruins the soil. And there's a fire risk when the neighbour burns off his stubble.

Another possibility was soybean... but soybean products are so cheap that I don't see how it could be worthwhile.

Anybody come up with any better ideas?

[gotlost]

Potatoes. Just finished clearing 8 rai of eucalyptus. 5 year growth net was 65K baht cost another 65K baht to clear the land and re-cultivate. Investment for potatoes about 12K. Yours should be less. This is a one year crop. Location Kap Choeng.

Edited May 10, 2010 by gotlost

[JurgenG]

I thought it was impossible to grow potatoes in Thailand ???

[gotlost]

I thought it was impossible to grow potatoes in Thailand ???

That's what you get for thanking. Your two rai shouldn't cost more than 6,000 baht. Potatoes are a second source of income for farmers in Surin. My wife's uncle gets an extra 100k baht year just for potatoes.

[isanbirder]

Thanks, gotlost. I must admit to being surprised; I'd no idea there was so much of a market for spuds! I'll pass it on to the 'boss' to check further.

[jasonr3255]

Potatoes. Just finished clearing 8 rai of eucalyptus. 5 year growth net was 65K baht cost another 65K baht to clear the land and re-cultivate. Investment for potatoes about 12K. Yours should be less. This is a one year crop. Location Kap Choeng.

CUCUMBERS. I WILL NOT SAY ANYMORE, A decent 2 rai and you should be pulling in a least 4-5000 baht a day if you set it up right during each crop. That's what the clever growers are doing. good luck.

[WatersEdge]

I've done real well with Okra.

Ready market for fresh tender pods

Farm to Wholesaler price B6.00 / kg in 5 kg plastic bags.

Wholesale to Retail price B10.00 / kg

Starting at 50 days they bear for another 80 to 100 days steadily every day.

Must be harvested every early morning

Over age coarse pods are good pig feed

Pigs & Goats love the leaves,

which can be cut as you harvest the pod.

Each pod has a leaf under it....one leaf one pod

Let the seed pods go to seed at the end of the life span,

and you have equivalent of soybean nutrition and yield

but without the antidigestive properties of soybean.

The entire plant is very vigorous and trouble free,

all but the stalk is nutritious

Likes good fertilizer and plenty of water,

can withstand dry periods

but will stop producing until water comes again

Will not tolerate standing water...good water but not too much.

The acid in the juice will eat the skin off your fingers,

so you will need gloves to pick.

It also is itchy to your forearms, so wear long sleeve shirt.

It will produce heavily enough to be a viable forage / seed crop entirely for animals.