Rice harvesters disappeared.

[cooked]

I don't quite understand what happened, but half way through harvesting our rice the machines disappeared. Apparently the 'army' has decided to limit the price that these guys can ask. Did I get that right? Somebody appeared in the fields and asked how much they were charging. ฿600.- is not acceptable.... the machines went home. So the farmers have already decided to state that they are paying ฿400.-.

Meanwhile, rice is standing in the fields that isn't being harvested. Anybody else seen or heard of this? Buriram.

[rice555]

Hello All, these three trucks with 2 Thai harvesters each were heading E. towards B-Ram

on Hwy. 226 out of Korat this afternoon.

rice555

[Gonsalviz]

I see them, new and used all over in NBL.

My neighbor claims they are cheaper to use than local labor even thought you must harvest earlier when the rice is still green and moisture content is higher, which means you will sell it for less.

[cooked]

I see them, new and used all over in NBL.

My neighbor claims they are cheaper to use than local labor even thought you must harvest earlier when the rice is still green and moisture content is higher, which means you will sell it for less.

Is this a joke? There are plenty of harvesters here, but they are not going out to harvest at present, as I mentioned in my original post, the military scared them off. I have harvested by hand myself, to get next year's seed crop in, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

[pnustedt]

I harvest near Sisaket and was told that I mustn't charge more than Bt550/rai. However, at a meeting yesterday I was told by the armie's henchmen that I can now charge more if the farmer signs an agreement. It appears that the instruction is unenforcable and they are backtracking.

[cooked]

I harvest near Sisaket and was told that I mustn't charge more than Bt550/rai. However, at a meeting yesterday I was told by the armie's henchmen that I can now charge more if the farmer signs an agreement. It appears that the instruction is unenforcable and they are backtracking.

฿550.- + a sack of rice would be nice.

[kickstart]

This evening the wife was talking to a friend in Pechit province ,hubby drives a combine ,they charge 500 bart /rie but the the government said 450 bart /rie,to help the rice farmers,with the low paddy price etc.

Who will pay the 50 bart difference seems to be unclear, but they can charge more if they go to a different province,seems to us the whole scheme is a bit of a pigs ear.

Round here it is diversification,this year they is a lot of mung beans being grown,and a lot of farmers are saying they can not get the pickers, so they are using combine's not certain how they charge, but having a look at some of the fields afterwards ,they seem to put a lot out the back,machine not set up right ,and going too fast.

[cooked]

Present consensus is that farmers should just lie about how much they pay. People have been going around the villages asking how much they pay, and who they employ. The farmers initially didn't know who these people were. Now that they do, maybe we can get back to normal in a day or two.

[tingtong]

sure, I see a lot more hand cutting in our area then in the last few years...just didn't know why so.

this military staff gives a possible answer.

of course, in the other hand, mashine comes cheaper in the end, as after harvesting, threshing is also work and cost when hand cut, not to mention that there is few willing to do the work for the proposed 250-300thb a day in the first place.

those hand cutting doing their own fields.

[cooked]

Latest: rice harvester operators are liable to have their machines confiscated and fined 'up to ' ฿200 000.- for overcharging, what overcharging means seems to vary from one province to another.

[kickstart]

Latest: rice harvester operators are liable to have their machines confiscated and fined 'up to ' ฿200 000.- for overcharging, what overcharging means seems to vary from one province to another.

Wifes daughter phoned up ,this morning,well .......off,had the rice combine do a 10 rie field, 800/bart /rie ,I would call that overcharging,I said find someone else,she said they is no one,which I find hard to believe in a rice growing area,she grows Hom Mali,Jasmine rice +some ordinary rice.

This evening talking to a local rice farmer,he was harvesting rice ,650 /bart/rie,he thought that he would do ok ,but he said it was Hom Mali,, he said if it was Khow Sao High,a local ordinary rice ,he would be on a loser.

It seems to me the combine operators,are doing just as they want, and are just ignoring the good Generale.