March 11, 201412 yr Anyone farming rice should pay heed to this prior to committing this years rainfed rice crop. Based on the cost of seed, herbicides, ploughing, two stages of fertilising and harvest, (none of which will come down in price), this is a sure loss proposition. From our 13 rai we made 42,000 baht nett profit last year. At 6 baht/kg this year, the same crop and costs will be a 29,000 baht hole in the ground. I could stay in bed and buy the same amount of rice and save effort and 8,000 baht.
March 11, 201412 yr I don't know Jack about rice but since i had to buy rice last week i watched the prices a bit. On the local market in BKK the cheapest rice was 16 a kg and the most expensive 42. My wife works for a very wealthy Thai and she buys rice from him. He sells rice called "fair trade" rice and pays the farmers a good decent price and sells that jasmin rice vacuum packed with english manual for 60 baht a kg. We eat that since some years because my wife likes the whole idea behind it. Now since we pay 60 a kg and the most expensive on the market is 42 then i ask myself: are we being cheated or will he pay those farmers also 60 a kg for jasmin rice (included vacuum packing) ? Oh and it's not only us who buy that, hundreds of collegues also buy this rice from their boss.
March 11, 201412 yr Author Around here the only cash crop is once a year Hom mali. I can see myself supporting the whole hard working family if this goes further. Or I go home...
March 12, 201412 yr In Bangkok the protesting farmers got THB 8.- http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/farmers-dump-paddy-farmers-bank-burn-effigy-yinglucks-home/ Bye, Derk
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