Rubbertree And Pineapple

[YourNeighbour]

Dear all,

after reading dozens of threads about rubbertrees and some less about pineapple I have some questions left. Maybe I overread something, sorry for that.

A. Rubbertrees:

A1. My main questionsmark is the yield of 1 rai rubbertree plantation? I read and heard so many diverging figures. Usually, I would like to use the goverment figure which is around 289kg per rai and year. But I not sure, if it is applicable. How is the figure composed, does it include all areas covered by rubbertrees, including premature plantation. That would explain partly the low figure compared to other comments I read from 400kg and more. Can anyone can help?

A2. How long can or should you tap the trees normally? I read numbers diverging between 12 to 30 years.

A3. Can I substitute insufficient rain by irrigation more or less completely?

A4. We heard the government agencies are paying currently 120-130 Bath per kg rubber mat. Is that consistent with your information?

B. Pineapple:

Here around locals grow pineapple in the premature rubbertree plantations, not only as cover plant also to earn good money, they say.

B1. How many pineapples you can grow per rai together with the rubbertrees, assuming 80 trees per rai?

B2. I read you can harvest one plant about 3 times with declining yield, first after 14-18 months. When is the second and third time?

B3. Probably a lot of different pineapple types are around. Assuming a common type, what is the yield (kg) per plant for the three harvests?

B4. We heard the government agencies are currently paying 7 Bath per kg. Is this correct? I read much lower prices even 2-3 years ago.

B5. Do the pineapples affect the rubbertree growth, sufficient water and fertilizer supposed?

B6. How many years can you grow pineapple between the rubbertrees?

B7. Are there better cash crops to mix with rubbertrees, independend of soil and climate?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Your neighbour

[mkawish]

Just which geographical areas do you plan to implement your rubber plantation?

[hiro]

A 1 the government figure looks pretty close to my findings. Consider no tapping days during rainy season, during dry season when the trees shed their leaves, resting days after tapping.

A2 in this area ( south ) about 25 years, depends on the quality of tapping, if someone butchers the trees it is less

A 4 currently 124 Baht, but this amount can vary substantially. Usually there is a correlation to the oilprice.

[YourNeighbour]

@mkawish:

I am assessing some areas in Uthai Thani province, some in the dry flat area but with water supply and some in the more rainy hilly area.

@hiro:

Thanks a lot, sounds reasonable.