What Else Can An Issan Rice Farmer Grow Besides Rice?

[DavoTheGun]

I have been staying with my GF,s family in Issan, they just sold some Rice and lost 20,000 Baht, again. This has been the case for years, why they do it I do not understand, I told them they would be better off just leaving it Fallow, but might as well Talk to The Hand !

They say that is all they can grow, they have a Small Shop in the Village that supports them, along with a Farang who helps a bit, I am sure they could grow something else that may make a profit.

Any advise without the usual useless comments would be helpful!

[wym]

Nasty stuff, but ozzie gum trees

[rucus7]

There may very soon be a booming market for high grade marijuana in America.

[DavoTheGun]

Nasty stuff, but ozzie gum trees

Yes I thought of that. the Paper Bark gums that were given to Thailand to stop erosion have in the main been chopped down to use for construction, they were told no good for construction, but of course was ignored, Thai,s know best!

But may be the solution, good idea !!

[Metapod]

Got an idea for them but it isn't farming.

Why not make them a website and advertise on travel/tourist forums about "an authentic homestay in an issan village"

Won't cost much to put them up "issan style' in the home. You could charge 1000baht or day or something.

Easy money and some entertainment for the family to boot.

[Bluetongue]

You might be better off with this question in the farming sub-forum where farmers in Isaan talk about all kinds of stuff, they even meet regularly

[mtkg5q]

My inlaws make heaps of money off tabacco however it is labour intensive. (Picking & drying on a string)

They could try pig farming, growing vegtables or fish

[Jip99]

I think the OP should have added "without the need for any capital investment"

They certainly would not consider a crop with a 5/7 year lead in.

[ABCer]

Size of land?

Water availability?

Soil type and condition?

Location (potential markets)?

Availability of cheap skilled labour?

Than decide what can be grown... maybe nothing?

Can't grow gum trees without water.

Frequent droughts = it will burn like hell, etc.

[jackinbkk]

Spirulina, and probably things like cabbage.

Selling at a loss will be recouping some of the losses but sure, it's better to never start of course. I guess the family eat some of their own rice so that's a saving as well.

[Om85]

Marijuana?

[IMA_FARANG]

Ask this question in the farming forum topic and you might get some surprising and informative answers.

Such as "tomatoes".

They need to think outside the box ..... and get out of the "we are Rice farmers" mindset.

What would work depends on their land and it's characteristics based on that land.

Also. of course, how hard they are willing to work ..... because running a sucessful farm is a LOT of work.

[noikrit]

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Marijuana?

Not as silly as it seems .... Hemp, a great product ...Grow the Low THC Cannabis variety ...Excellent scource of fibre, and possibly a Bio Fuel .. just to name a few uses .... Trouble is so many governments just don't see the benifits .....

[nottocus]

Pot

[Thai at Heart]

Tobacco depending on soil chloride. Hard work but very good returns

[Thai at Heart]

Why not saffron. Always wondered why not?

[paz]

I will say this because nobody has said it yet.

You have no farming knowledge whatsoever yet you expect that you can give advice on a difficult matter to people with which you are connected only because of your GF. The communication and cultural obstacles are insurmountable, as you've found yourself. Beside, logic dictates that if there was an easy better alternative, they would have taken it already.

Being practical and a little selfish I would declare it a lost cause and move on to bigger matters, eg, if you really want to be where you are now, what are the medium term progress alternatives for you and your GF, and what is the best way to deal with the support requests coming from her familiy in any case.

[cooked]

No rain for 8 months a year, no water reserves. Come on you agricultural geniuses, you must be able to think of something.

Sent from my GT-S7500 using Tapatalk 2

[khwaibah]

I think the OP should have added "without the need for any capital investment"

They certainly would not consider a crop with a 5/7 year lead in.

Capital investment equals farang involvement.

[ABCer]

No rain for 8 months a year, no water reserves. Come on you agricultural geniuses, you must be able to think of something.

Sent from my GT-S7500 using Tapatalk 2

What is the geography? Terrain? Any chance of bore water? But it's costly... not sure it will pay off. Definitely not for rice.

Thais unfortunately rarely think out of square box. Just do what the neighbor does...

[choochoo]

I think its RICE or bust..You lose the least with rice,....lol

Your family must be gorrible farmers. they get prices 40 %above market rates and they still lose money.................lol.

Another guy said ez money in sugarcane but i think he full of manure.

[GuyL]

Daughters!

(Sorry, can't resist!)

[choochoo]

Ask this question in the farming forum topic and you might get some surprising and informative answers.

Such as "tomatoes".

They need to think outside the box ..... and get out of the "we are Rice farmers" mindset.

What would work depends on their land and it's characteristics based on that land.

Also. of course, how hard they are willing to work ..... because running a sucessful farm is a LOT of work.

SIR tomattoes is not out of the box thinking.

If farmers could grow bigger BREASTS...now that would be something...........lol. Yes the ones babies suck on............lol.

[ozzydom]

Any crop which is reliant on middle men such as agents,millers Govt agencies etc realise a return is fraught with danger.

Because most land holdings are quite small, and seasons are pretty much pre determined ,value adding may be the way forward.

For instance ,corn is an excellent stock feed in all its forms, so why not substitute rice with corn as a crop ,have the corn milled and use as feed to grow pigs cows ,ducks etc for sale direct to the markets.

The return on these, grown with minimal cash outlays for food would I feel give a higher return than rice.

The return on growing and selling 200 ducks p.a. is about 40-50k a year.

[Donnie Brasco]

You are the next crop.

They see a profit there.

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[ozzydom]

No rain for 8 months a year, no water reserves. Come on you agricultural geniuses, you must be able to think of something.

Sent from my GT-S7500 using Tapatalk 2

What is the geography? Terrain? Any chance of bore water? But it's costly... not sure it will pay off. Definitely not for rice.

Thais unfortunately rarely think out of square box. Just do what the neighbor does...

If climate change predictions are anywhere near correct, it may well be adapt or perish.

[choochoo]

You know what simon would say.......grow some guesthouses..............lol.

[cdmtdm]

You know what simon would say.......grow some guesthouses..............lol.

time for bed choochoo ..or move away from the mirror ,your putting people off this forum ...... the op has asked a fair question , so far two good ideas imo ....

[cdmtdm]

Any crop which is reliant on middle men such as agents,millers Govt agencies etc realise a return is fraught with danger.

Because most land holdings are quite small, and seasons are pretty much pre determined ,value adding may be the way forward.

For instance ,corn is an excellent stock feed in all its forms, so why not substitute rice with corn as a crop ,have the corn milled and use as feed to grow pigs cows ,ducks etc for sale direct to the markets.

The return on these, grown with minimal cash outlays for food would I feel give a higher return than rice.

The return on growing and selling 200 ducks p.a. is about 40-50k a year.

ozzy ... how does corn go in rice paddy country ? given that most of it is laden with water for a few months ? i like the concept ..... can expand on that ...

[BillyBobThai]

Thinking outside the box is not a Thai strong point. As was stated earlier, you have no farming expertice and will never be able to get these people to change. They will quit farming rice one day and sit on the porch and chew bettle nut and be happy as a pig in sh_t.

Leave it be and take your girl somewhere that she can expect to get a job.