DavoTheGun Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wym Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Nasty stuff, but ozzie gum trees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rucus7 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 There may very soon be a booming market for high grade marijuana in America. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavoTheGun Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 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 !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metapod Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluetongue Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtkg5q Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jip99 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABCer Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackinbkk Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Om85 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Marijuana? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMA_FARANG Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikrit Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 <script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script> 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 ..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nottocus Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Pot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai at Heart Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Tobacco depending on soil chloride. Hard work but very good returns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai at Heart Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Why not saffron. Always wondered why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paz Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 (edited) 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. Edited March 27, 2014 by paz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooked Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 (edited) 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 Edited March 27, 2014 by cooked 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khwaibah Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABCer Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choochoo Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 (edited) 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. Edited March 27, 2014 by choochoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuyL Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Daughters! (Sorry, can't resist!) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choochoo Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ozzydom Posted March 27, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted March 27, 2014 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. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Brasco Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 You are the next crop. They see a profit there. Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzydom Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choochoo Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 You know what simon would say.......grow some guesthouses..............lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdmtdm Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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 .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdmtdm Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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 ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBobThai Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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