What Else Can An Issan Rice Farmer Grow Besides Rice?

[cdmtdm]

most of the farming land in Isaan has no electricity or perm water supply , if the govt were to provide elect and an irrigation canal system then many doors open ..... however i think the govt prefer the farmers to make just enough to live ...farming one crop a year is a joke ...reminds me of the lazy wheat farmers back home ...

[Sandman77]

We discontinued our rice farm this year!

The worker got 70 Procent of yearly rice not want do the job again!

And there are thiefs in the village in the night time trying to steal our rice!

And you must play security guard in the nighttime,

Night shift with the nabours together!

No thank you!

[shadmo63]

Don't know any details but gf's parents successfully grow Japanese rice in Mae Suai, Chiang Rai. In so doing have avoided any rice pledging scheme problems.

[Familyonthemove]

I'm no farmer but we have some farming experts in the office and one has bought a farm in Issan as his retirement investment.

As ThaiGuzzi mentions - being self sufficient in rice has a significant value - and if the land value increases that's an added bonus.

Do they own the farm or rent it? Hard to lose money in the longer term if they own the land.

Our 'farmer' in the office planted rubber trees as his longer term plan - don't know the water/soil needs etc but he's put his own money into the plan and there's no Issan beauty leading him by the nose..

I'll ask him about hemp as several posters have mentioned this.

[ozzydom]

I'm no farmer but we have some farming experts in the office and one has bought a farm in Issan as his retirement investment.

As ThaiGuzzi mentions - being self sufficient in rice has a significant value - and if the land value increases that's an added bonus.

Do they own the farm or rent it? Hard to lose money in the longer term if they own the land.

Our 'farmer' in the office planted rubber trees as his longer term plan - don't know the water/soil needs etc but he's put his own money into the plan and there's no Issan beauty leading him by the nose..

I'll ask him about hemp as several posters have mentioned this.

I take it your farmer friend is Thai.

[Familyonthemove]

I'm no farmer but we have some farming experts in the office and one has bought a farm in Issan as his retirement investment.

As ThaiGuzzi mentions - being self sufficient in rice has a significant value - and if the land value increases that's an added bonus.

Do they own the farm or rent it? Hard to lose money in the longer term if they own the land.

Our 'farmer' in the office planted rubber trees as his longer term plan - don't know the water/soil needs etc but he's put his own money into the plan and there's no Issan beauty leading him by the nose..

I'll ask him about hemp as several posters have mentioned this.

I take it your farmer friend is Thai.

Yep.

[tiffanystoyz]

Look they could open a brothel at least if you go in the hole the trip there more fun. Look You might not know but do you end up giving them what they say they lost? Because just saying they do look at us as ATM's, But as crops go I would grow pot risk yes but profit great and since there Thai's police might turn blind eye for a good bribe and a cut of the action, even help find buyer's which they in turn bust and resell haul.

[cooked]

Look they could open a brothel at least if you go in the hole the trip there more fun. Look You might not know but do you end up giving them what they say they lost? Because just saying they do look at us as ATM's, But as crops go I would grow pot risk yes but profit great and since there Thai's police might turn blind eye for a good bribe and a cut of the action, even help find buyer's which they in turn bust and resell haul.

Second time I use this word on TV: bullshit 100%

Sent from my GT-S7500 using Tapatalk 2

[dao16]

Just from what I have seen out in the villages near here, people grow onions, garlic and chili, but not in the actual fields that are used for rice. Usually these are on adjacent plots of land, as the rice has to be irrigated, etc.,, which floods it all eventually. I have been up close during several harvests and never noticed any other crops grown on those same plots.

Anyway, it does seem odd that they lost money on the rice. I know my wife's family makes a decent amount on it. If the price goes down before they harvest it all, they just keep it and use it for food during the year. Even we don't buy rice except for maybe right before the harvest, but usually not. So it sounds like they are A)not getting to market early enough or just selling and not thinking about the market price and then in the end they say "oh, shucks, we lost money." Either way, something is not right, as I know lots of farmers in Isaan who make money from rice--they are still poor, but it keeps them and their families fed and housed throughout the year.

[cdmtdm]

Look they could open a brothel at least if you go in the hole the trip there more fun. Look You might not know but do you end up giving them what they say they lost? Because just saying they do look at us as ATM's, But as crops go I would grow pot risk yes but profit great and since there Thai's police might turn blind eye for a good bribe and a cut of the action, even help find buyer's which they in turn bust and resell haul.

yep this post could get the award for the most idiotic statement i have read yet on TV over the last 5 years .... u on crack or what ?

[khwaibah]

Look they could open a brothel at least if you go in the hole the trip there more fun. Look You might not know but do you end up giving them what they say they lost? Because just saying they do look at us as ATM's, But as crops go I would grow pot risk yes but profit great and since there Thai's police might turn blind eye for a good bribe and a cut of the action, even help find buyer's which they in turn bust and resell haul.

What makes you thank it is not being done ?

[hgv driver]

sugarcane

[mike123ca]

Just from what I have seen out in the villages near here, people grow onions, garlic and chili, but not in the actual fields that are used for rice. Usually these are on adjacent plots of land, as the rice has to be irrigated, etc.,, which floods it all eventually. I have been up close during several harvests and never noticed any other crops grown on those same plots.

Anyway, it does seem odd that they lost money on the rice. I know my wife's family makes a decent amount on it. If the price goes down before they harvest it all, they just keep it and use it for food during the year. Even we don't buy rice except for maybe right before the harvest, but usually not. So it sounds like they are A)not getting to market early enough or just selling and not thinking about the market price and then in the end they say "oh, shucks, we lost money." Either way, something is not right, as I know lots of farmers in Isaan who make money from rice--they are still poor, but it keeps them and their families fed and housed throughout the year.

After the rice harvest, the father in law plants chili in his rice fields. Growing chili is not a problem, but finding the labor to hand pick it is becoming a problem. No one wants to work for small wages under a hot sun.

Edited March 30, 2014 by mike123ca

[slapout]

The 300 baht/day wage that has been declared thoughout Thailand has really hit the farming sector hard. The perks of food provided and a after work bottle of whiskey seems to have carried over with the new pay scale which is being asked for.. thus farm expense cost have risen way faster than farm product price. including rice.

[IMA_FARANG]

I'm NOT a farmer so maybe all my sugestions are foolish.

However, I worked for 5 years in Saudi Arabia where there is D-mn little water most of the year to grow crops.

They grow a lot of Dates from Date Palms ...... which if I recall tend to produce fruit in the dry times after whatever rain there is finishes for that year.

(It does rain in Saudi Arabia, you know).

The Bedu refer to Dates from the Date palms as "Allah's blessing" because the Date Palm root goes deep into whatever water table there is, and even when the foliage on the tree appears to be dead, it grows back quickly once there is some water for it to find after the first rain.

So even when the Date Palm appears to be dead, it will have fruit to harvest.

That's why the desert Date Palm is reffered by the Bedu as "Allah's blessing"

But like I said I'm NOT a farmer.

Why don't you research dates and the dessert Date Palm?

[danmarnj]

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

Do you have the address for the Colorado Procurement Department? lol