BAAC To Plant 9 Million Trees In Khon Kaen

[Jai Dee]

BAAC to plant 9 million trees to celebrate HM the King's Diamond Jubilee

The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) has launched a campaign to plant nine million trees in 500 rai of land near Manjakiri Forest in Khon Kaen Province. The campaign has been established to celebrate His Majesty the King’s Diamond Jubilee and to increase the farmers’ revenues.

Mr. Varathep Ratanakorn, the Deputy Minister of Finance, presided over the opening ceremony of this campaign initiated by the BAAC and the Forestry Industry Organization (FIO). This project will involve about 2,000 community leaders, agriculturists, BAAC consumers, students and members of the public. The project will also include planting eucalyptus and golden shower trees as they can generate more earnings for farmers.

Today (August 10th) is the first day of the project’s launch, and it will expand to other regions across Thailand.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 10 August 2006

[Jai Dee]

... and golden shower trees...

Excuse my ignorance but... do any of you Isaan locals know what is a golden shower tree?

[chownah]

9 million trees planted on 500 rai means that the trees will be planted 30 centimetres apart!!! That's as close as the little clumps of rice get planted in rice paddies!!!! Sounds like they are going to grow a bonsai forest!!! That should attract a lot of tourists!!!

[PREM-R]

... and golden shower trees...

Excuse my ignorance but... do any of you Isaan locals know what is a golden shower tree?

It is the provincial flower of Khon Kaen (Rat Cha Phoek)

[Jai Dee]

Thanks PREM-R... it's a bit like a yellow version of a Jacaranda tree (blue-purple flowers).

[teletiger]

Another forest to plunder in 20 years time

regards

[plachon]

Another forest to plunder in 20 years time

regards

If it's the FIO "forest" I suspect it to be, don't worry Teletiger, it was already plundered of native trees and planted to eucalyptus about 25 years ago or so. This is just replanting eucalyptus to eucalyptus, but how they think they can fit 9 million trees in there, I'm as mystified as Chownah. Amazing Khon Kaen!

[erikr_]

Another forest to plunder in 20 years time

regards

If it's the FIO "forest" I suspect it to be, don't worry Teletiger, it was already plundered of native trees and planted to eucalyptus about 25 years ago or so. This is just replanting eucalyptus to eucalyptus, but how they think they can fit 9 million trees in there, I'm as mystified as Chownah. Amazing Khon Kaen!

Simple they plant 90000 trees and then use half of the money they save on trees to let the one that counts them say it are 9 million (thai counting)

[TerryLH]

The project will also include planting eucalyptus and golden shower trees as they can generate more earnings for farmers.

How do farmers make money on 'golden shower trees'?

Terry

[plachon]

The project will also include planting eucalyptus and golden shower trees as they can generate more earnings for farmers.

How do farmers make money on 'golden shower trees'?

Terry

At a guess......... a few local impoverished farmers will be hired at minimum wage to plant the things on the govt. plot (9 million should ensure they're busy and tripping over themselves to get them in the ground 30 cms apart!) and then in 10 or so years time, they'll be hired to chop the stunted things down. Maybe at that time they'll try to beat their own record and get 90 million trees in 500 rai and there'll be more work to go round! See - Loadsa earnings for farmers!

[sbk]

Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula) Dok Khuen in Thailand, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to southern Asia, from southern Pakistan east through India to Myanmar and south to Sri Lanka.

It is a medium-sized tree growing to 10-20 m tall with fast growth. The leaves are deciduous or semi-evergreen, 15-60 cm long, pinnate with 3-8 pairs of leaflets, each leaflet 7-21 cm long and 4-9 cm broad. The flowers are produced in pendulous racemes 20-40 cm long, each flower 4-7 cm diameter with five yellow petals of equal size and shape. The fruit is a legume is 30-60 cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm broad, with a pungent odour and containing several seeds. The seeds are poisonous.

Cultivation and uses

It is widely grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas. Not recommended for dry climates. Growth is best in full sun on well-drained soil; it is drought and salt tolerant, but will be damaged by even short spells of freezing weather. It can be subject to mildew, leaf spot and root diseases. It is known in Spanish speaking countries as caña fistula.

Seems like it should do ok in Isaan but I can't see how it would benefit local farmers