5 hours ago, wayned said:

This has been the most unusual year in the 20 years that I have lived here.  Normally the corn is harvested in late August, sunflowers are planted and the Sugar cane harvest begins in November.  This, due to the wet weather, some of the corn fields were replanted the second time, others were planted with sorghum and I've even seen some sun hemp.  There are very few Sunflower fields.  We are currently harvesting the corn, a good crop, and the sorghum.  Most of the Sun hemp is just being plowed under.  The sugar cane harvest has yet to begin.

Same as around here ,this year very few sunflowers, for us it has been dry ,farmers are afraid not enough rain ,I have seen many crops of sunflowers that never see a drop of rain, just rely on morning dew and any available soil moisture and the price of the seed, when we grew them 1 kg was 800 baht, this was a good few years ago .

This photo I took 2 days ago, what few sunflowers they are are very early this year  never seen sunflowers in flower this time of year, one crop was in flower 3 weeks ago ,he was lucky ,sunflowers do not like a lot of water ,the roots would rot ,hence them being a cool season crop .

People coming from Bangkok to look at the sunflowers over the new year  might well be out of luck, looks if most will be done by the new year, bar a few farms who grow 2-3, 2-3rie blocks for the tourists, charge 10  baht/ head, to walk around the field , good photo opportunity, some have tractor and trailers taking people around . 

In the north of the province and Singburi, the sugar cane mills are open, our local mill is due to open on the 5th December, word on the street is 7-800 baht /ton, depending on sugar content,  with the government subbing 70 baht /ton and the mill the same 70 baht/ton.

around us most if not all new cane has been planted (october time) can see the first signs of growth, very little rain for the past month. the wife was told cane prices locally would be from 500 baht ton..... no weigh stations are open yet, maybe after the new year, for the past 2 years they have been starting to buy the cane later, some till end feb/beginning march. before most of the cane would have been weighted before new year... the new guy that has planted some of the wifes land was who she got this years price from, they gps all her land before planting, seems that he works for a better set up then the last family, wife expects to get payment from the old set up april time, new guy paid in october.....

 

around us most if not all new cane has been planted (october time) can see the first signs of growth, very little rain for the past month. the wife was told cane prices locally would be from 500 baht ton..... no weigh stations are open yet, maybe after the new year, for the past 2 years they have been starting to buy the cane later, some till end feb/beginning march. before most of the cane would have been weighted before new year... the new guy that has planted some of the wifes land was who she got this years price from, they gps all her land before planting, seems that he works for a better set up then the last family, wife expects to get payment from the old set up april time, new guy paid in october.....

wrong...^ saw one weigh station open the other day (very busy) (going past too fast to see the price) but the cleaning lady we have says its 680 bahts per ton there.... she is out cutting most days and earning 300/350 bahts a day, piece work..

not seen any fires around us yet though..

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