Rubber Trees

[thaiguzzi]

Auction price, today, Ampur Ban Dung, Udon Thani province, Wet cup/kee yang 49.30 baht per kilo. Weighed up and paid out tomorrow. Only missed one night on the last fortnight cutting due to weather, nights are already getting cooler up here, starting to flow baby... 700 odd kgs, best this year and will only get better as it cools off.

Regards,

Mike.

[thaiguzzi]

Sorry,

correction on the price - 49.35 baht per kilo.

Mike.

[cobbler]

Good cut last night 36 Sheets from 800 trees. Will cut to night the did the trees up tomorrow, and transport to Chiang Mai.

What are you going to do then?

[Mosha]

^I'll send Sopha with them 555

[gregj69]

Hi Guys,

thanx for the comments, apologies for being slow to reply, but i'm not on the computer that much, now it's slow on the farm i tend to keep busy in my two 20' insulated containers kitted out as full workshops brought over from the uk, one of which is a full machine shop c/w English brand name lathe, milling machine, shaper, grinder etc and on my motorcycles also brought over from England. Give you some idea of what i'm into, some of the forums i read weekly are the American sites Practical Machinist and Home Shop Machinist, also the Yahoo group sites of owners of my particular machine tools and my motorcycles. I love fiddling, making bits and playing with my bikes - if i do'nt have black fingernails at the end of the day, when i have my first Chang on the balcony, then i have'nt been productive!

Jim- thanx for your kind words, i'd like to meet up in a year or two when i've got a bit more money myself, i believe you're in the Ubon area - be a nice ride down there. Yes, no money back home, sold up house and business, every thing invested over here now. Because of the unexpected price drop in rubber, have got bugger all left in the bank here too, hence having to sell my Ford tractor (see seperate post). May have to sell one of my beloved bikes too, no temp. work available back home according to my mates, the UK and Europe is all doom and gloom. An English mate of mine in Bung Khan who has over 10,000 7-8 year old trees told me years ago if you've got 5,000 trees you'll be alright. He tried sheets a month ago and went back to cup rubber, because it was'nt worth it according to him with his young-ish trees, price for sheet was 87 baht, cup was 42 baht. The water/latex percentage is not great for making sheet i believe in 6-8 year old trees, i think the teachers at NK school told the missus, start sheet after 2-3 years of cutting, when it is very worthwhile. This year we will still do cup rubber, but as and when finances allow i do want to start purchasing rollers etc for maybe next year making sheet. The big advantage with sheet is you can sell when you want, keeing an eye on the price fluctuations, and you do'nt have cup rubber theft which was a big problem round here when prices were 80 baht and up. The people who can afford to keep it, in the deep south always have big sales in Feb when the prices used to be well high.

Mosha - 60 baht cup rubber, 100 baht sheet; prices are going up! Possibly because everyone in Issan is about to stop cutting. All the trees up here think it's mid febuary. Normally the rain stops and we a have 6-8 week transitional period before the cold weather sets in. Last year - nope - rain stops and we get cool/cold weather staightaway! Sod's law.

Scotbeve - Yes manure, only dried is not cheap and easy to get anymore up here, a lot less cattle and buffalos now than when i first moved here. There are some very good "NC" fertilisers available now, Top One and Mosaic, not cheap at @ 360 per 50kg sack,but guaranteed good stuff, very rich, unlike the stuff years ago when you did'nt know what you were getting. NC and manure is great for the soil and does'nt do a lot for the trees, but then if you have good soil, you have happy trees. Whereas the numbered fertilisers (20-10-12) etc are great for the trees but not good for the soil. We try and stick a bag of NC per rai thrown, not dug, on the land every 2 or 3 years to try and put something back into the soil that the chems take out.

By the way, i've got some 7 year old trees that are monsters, about two dozen approaching 80cms! Having said that i have another 20 odd at the bottom of 2 slopes near our house which are in absolutely sodden wet land during the rainy season which i doubt are 20cms. The missus's brother likes to keep about 25-35 chickens on the plot he cuts, near their hut, and the trees around that patch really produce! Noticeably.

Ken - sent you a pm. In case other people are interested the Nong Khai school tel. no. is 042-421396, open mon - fri 07.30-14.30, free advice, books, cd's etc. However as i told Ken, last year there were no 8 day free courses (inc. free meals and overnight sleeping in dormatories) due to cutbacks in govt funding. Typical. Hopefully things have changed this year. I would imagine wherever a lot of rubber is grown, there may be similar places.

Whilst on the subject of this school, they also taught my missus to try and mix her fertiliser from different numbers to get higher percentages of actual quality fertiliser. For instance, ready to cut and thereafter use only 30-5-18, very difficult to buy these numbers, some shops do'nt even know what you're talking about.Yet the school issues every student with formulas for mixing your own 20-10-12 and 30-5-18. All you ever need for rubber trees basically.

ie you want 1500kgs 30-5-18 or 30 bags, you need;

150 kgs 18-46-0 , 3 bags

900kgs 46-0-0 , 18 "

450 kgs 0-0-60 , 9 "

These figures mixed give you your 30 bags of quality 30-5-18. These formula sheets are available from the school and also good fertiliser shops that sell high brand fertilisers and know what they are talking about.

Jeesus - another long-winded post. Time to get back into the shed!

Cheers, Mike.

Does Anyone know the contact details for the Nong Khai Rubber School? Tried the number posted by Thaiguzzi but doesn't work. Also tried 072 421396 which was posted as their number on the International Rubber Research and Development Board (IRRDB) website which also doesn't work.

Cheers

Greg

[thaiguzzi]

Greg,

will check again tomorrow. Worst scenario, i will give you a teacher's personal phone number.

Mike.

[gregj69]

Greg,

will check again tomorrow. Worst scenario, i will give you a teacher's personal phone number.

Mike.

Thanks Mike.

I tried to ring a few other numbers as given to me by the drector of the Institute in Bangkok but still have had no luck. See his email below:

Dear Greg,

Tel. no. of Nong Khai Rubber Research Centre is 042-421-714, 089-927-6369

e-mail : [email protected], [email protected]

Also, Chachoengsao Rubber Research Centre Tel. 038-136-225, 089-927-6371

e-mail : [email protected].

RRIT

P.S. Hello to Jim; hope you are cutting a kilo a day per tree now, cause we might have to come and visit again. 555

[jamescollister]

Greg,

will check again tomorrow. Worst scenario, i will give you a teacher's personal phone number.

Mike.

Thanks Mike.

I tried to ring a few other numbers as given to me by the drector of the Institute in Bangkok but still have had no luck. See his email below:

Dear Greg,

Tel. no. of Nong Khai Rubber Research Centre is 042-421-714, 089-927-6369

e-mail : [email protected], [email protected]

Also, Chachoengsao Rubber Research Centre Tel. 038-136-225, 089-927-6371

e-mail : [email protected].

RRIT

P.S. Hello to Jim; hope you are cutting a kilo a day per tree now, cause we might have to come and visit again. 555

Come anytime, walls are up on the 2 new bedrooms. Doing cup at the moment, but think by the look of the weather we will be back on sheet next week, fingers crossed.

Oh and the new hot air drying shed should be up and running in a week or 2. Jim

[cobbler]

^I'll send Sopha with them 555

Thar's very good mate.I meant ,what will you do with your land?

Cheers Cobbler

[Mosha]

I was kidding she'd kill me.

[Mosha]

I was kidding, she'd kill me 1st

[cobbler]

I was kidding, she'd kill me 1st

Of course ,UM I knew that..NOT

[KingMekong]

My wife and I have 100 Rai of Trees from yearlings to 30 rai of first year tappings, i dont get involved in the business side of things as i am into management and utilising workforce and they run it as a family thing - ive invested a share in around 20 rai of the 100 rai the rest is owned by my wife. I tried to explain if we put Laos people on the lands to do the tapping and managed plus built small homes for them on a 60/40 cut on the natural latex and we processed that into the smoked sheets we would be better off, especially if we had the agreement in place where all groceries required by residential workers had to purchase from our groucery shop, we would be better off. ( bang head against wall )

So its (up to them) We live close to Mukdahan and I need to busy myself, I have thought about propergating new saplings and growing from the Havea nut, any ideas people

Paul. (Mekong Delta)

[jamescollister]

My wife and I have 100 Rai of Trees from yearlings to 30 rai of first year tappings, i dont get involved in the business side of things as i am into management and utilising workforce and they run it as a family thing - ive invested a share in around 20 rai of the 100 rai the rest is owned by my wife. I tried to explain if we put Laos people on the lands to do the tapping and managed plus built small homes for them on a 60/40 cut on the natural latex and we processed that into the smoked sheets we would be better off, especially if we had the agreement in place where all groceries required by residential workers had to purchase from our groucery shop, we would be better off. ( bang head against wall )

So its (up to them) We live close to Mukdahan and I need to busy myself, I have thought about propergating new saplings and growing from the Havea nut, any ideas people

Paul. (Mekong Delta)

First be careful of using Lao workers if they haven't got papers, or someone will end up in jail. Not much law enforcement out my way, but that and illegal logging are heavily enforced.

As for the rest, just bang your head against a tree, that's what I do until the urge to change their ways goes away. I started out all keen to change things, now I let the wife take care of the business and I take care of the beer. Jim

[cobbler]

Yep Jim's right.Also watch thieves .I never saw 1 I could trust down here,but that's just me.

[Mosha]

Well despite the BBC weather map showing blue ie rain, it's been dry for almost a week now. We are for the moment tapping rubber to a "normal" plan. There that's torn it. It will most likely piss it down tonight

[mortenfo]

Hvilke maskiner bruker dere på å lage gummimatter ?

[wijar]

Hvilke maskiner bruker dere på å lage gummimatter ?

Let's all change to norwegian!

[gregj69]

Hvilke maskiner bruker dere på å lage gummimatter ?

Let's all change to norwegian!

Hvilke maskiner bruker dere på å lage gummimatter ?

Let's all change to norwegian!

Ja. Som er bedre

Greg

[cobbler]

Hvilke maskiner bruker dere på å lage gummimatter ?

Let's all change to norwegian!

Ok Hyben doodles!!

[Mosha]

Winds finally turned, no longer blowing in from the Andaman. Monsoon season is almost over. Putting feed down next week.

[thaiguzzi]

Greg,

sorry for the late reply, been laid up with a badly infected ankle wound, inc 9 nights in the hospital with anti-biotics drip etc.. actually had it about 2 months now, but was pretty bad for a while. Now much better. Anyway...

Here's those numbers;

Nong Khai school 042-421396 (this IS the CORRECT number)

Buriram school 044-605075

Nong Khai teachers mobile numbers, have their names too;

08-47429370 Oh

08-92788753 Goh

08-82348510 Singto

08-96218211 Gee

Best regards,

Mike.

[gregj69]

Greg,

sorry for the late reply, been laid up with a badly infected ankle wound, inc 9 nights in the hospital with anti-biotics drip etc.. actually had it about 2 months now, but was pretty bad for a while. Now much better. Anyway...

Here's those numbers;

Nong Khai school 042-421396 (this IS the CORRECT number)

Buriram school 044-605075

Nong Khai teachers mobile numbers, have their names too;

08-47429370 Oh

08-92788753 Goh

08-82348510 Singto

08-96218211 Gee

Best regards,

Mike.

Thankyou soooo much. Will get the missus to chase that up tomorrow. Hope your ankle gets better quickly. I had a similar thing with a week on the drip, many different antibiotics & took about 3 months to heal properly. I was lucky; our cashiers dad had the same infection, did bugger all for a while, lost his leg then died. Cheers.

Greg

[cobbler]

We have had 47M:L of rain since it started yesterday afternoon .Very nice.This'll make the white gold flow very nicely thank you.

Are you getting it too MR Mosha?

[Mosha]

It's rained the last 2 days over this side

[thaiguzzi]

Best fortnight's production we've ever had...

worst price per kilo at auction we've ever had ... 42.37 baht / wet cup/key yang.

Down 15% from 2 weeks ago.

heard people were getting 43 baht on the gate yesterday, so presumed we'd be near 50. No, today Thai stockmarket has had a run, a big hit, gold down, everything down... <deleted>.

Mike.

[jamescollister]

Off to IAs pig farm tomorrow and then the farmers meeting. Will be glad to get away for a few days, these tappers are doing my head in. Don't know how many we have gone throw this year and I just put another lot on notice, pick up your game or get out. Just because they are happy to earn less and do less doesn't mean I'm happy to let them.

This is venting, as no one here cares what I say. Jim

[glennb6]

James,

I now have, via wife, 2 tappers that seem to be able to cut about 900 trees each per night. I say seem because I have not snuck or otherwise out to the farm at night to watch. Occasional mornings I will pay a visit and it usually appears that all trees were cut. I guess that's pretty good. A couple other local falangs with farms said 900 to 1000 a night per worker is good output.

What are your workers' numbers? Others?

[jamescollister]

James,

I now have, via wife, 2 tappers that seem to be able to cut about 900 trees each per night. I say seem because I have not snuck or otherwise out to the farm at night to watch. Occasional mornings I will pay a visit and it usually appears that all trees were cut. I guess that's pretty good. A couple other local falangs with farms said 900 to 1000 a night per worker is good output.

What are your workers' numbers? Others?

Big question on tree tapping numbers, we make sheet, good tapper can do 800 trees say, but he can't collect the latex and then make sheets, he will die from exhaustion. Some plantations have 2 tappers and either have family or hire collectors to take the latex to the factory to make sheet. I often see workers I have never seen before at the factory making sheet, they come and go. The tappers hire them, family or friends to help out. I don't care as long as the kilos are right. One day we have 10 workers the next 15 and another 8, there is no way of being in control of what's happening on the ground, that's way they give me headaches. You can't try an enforce things or they just pack up and leave. So I just let them get on with it and as long as the kilos are right I am happy enough. Jim

[cobbler]

James,

I now have, via wife, 2 tappers that seem to be able to cut about 900 trees each per night. I say seem because I have not snuck or otherwise out to the farm at night to watch. Occasional mornings I will pay a visit and it usually appears that all trees were cut. I guess that's pretty good. A couple other local falangs with farms said 900 to 1000 a night per worker is good output.

What are your workers' numbers? Others?

We have 1 worker cutting 1000 trees.Another farm is a mountain ,so husband and wife cut 600 trees each.Had another man on the mountain farm cut the 1200 trees himself.So on the flat 1 person should be able to cut 1000 himself.However this will also depend on age of worker too.Old people will struggle more.Eyesight is important to quality of cutting the trees too.My wife's Aunty has 1 worker drinks like a fish and smokes like a chimney but cuts 1500 trees .Does a great job and honest as the day is long.All these workers I mention are all Myanmar and Mon(from no mans land in Myanmar)These are all good honest people,They all make sheets after collecting the latex themselves. .I just thought this was normal.Never seen anything else.

There is talk in political circles of kicking out this Gov..Don't know if this has something to do with the market drop in Thai.Maybe it is a show of instability in Thai.Who knows?

Cheers Cobbler