No burning for 2 months

[canuckamuck]

Today is February 17th. Yesterday was the last day people were allowed to burn their fields until April.

Well... That is what the people in our village say. They also say it will be backed with jail time. But village talk being what it is, I took a grain a salt with the info. I was surprised however that the forestry guys were parked up here yesterday in a show of force. But it remains to be seen if people will indeed quit burning, or in the case they don't, be meaningfully punished for the act.

My guess is that by noon I will see the first fire and then everyone else will join in.

[luke000]

Is there any alternative to crop burning ?

[robblok]

Is there any alternative to crop burning ?

Of course there is.. it is just a bit more labor intensive.. meaning to use a plow to plow it over and let the soil take care of it (its better for the soil)

[canuckamuck]

Is there any alternative to crop burning ?

Of course there is.. it is just a bit more labor intensive.. meaning to use a plow to plow it over and let the soil take care of it (its better for the soil)

Ha, try that on the side of a mountain..

[NeverSure]

Is it better for the soil? I really don't know. Ash is good for the soil and fire kills microorganisms and insects and cleans things up for the next crop. I know that in the US before there was any environmental consciousness there was massive field burning in some areas for the above reasons. I know that in areas where they grew grass seed for lawns they would always burn and then plow before planting to kill any weed seeds, especially unwanted grass species. If they plowed it under they'd just get the weeds. Now they use chemicals.

Dunno.

Cheers.

[canuckamuck]

Well there is no burning here at the moment and the sky seems a bit more lucent. today.

The forestry boys have set-up some kind of command centre here and the appear to be all business. Nice clean uniforms and lots of bodies.

Be interesting to see how long it lasts.

Edited February 17, 2016 by canuckamuck

[robblok]

Is there any alternative to crop burning ?

Of course there is.. it is just a bit more labor intensive.. meaning to use a plow to plow it over and let the soil take care of it (its better for the soil)

Ha, try that on the side of a mountain..

So just because its hard they should be allowed to pollute the air and bother others. Then don't plant at the side of a mountain if its too much work.

[robblok]

Is it better for the soil? I really don't know. Ash is good for the soil and fire kills microorganisms and insects and cleans things up for the next crop. I know that in the US before there was any environmental consciousness there was massive field burning in some areas for the above reasons. I know that in areas where they grew grass seed for lawns they would always burn and then plow before planting to kill any weed seeds, especially unwanted grass species. If they plowed it under they'd just get the weeds. Now they use chemicals.

Dunno.

Cheers.

Ash is good for the soil.. but how much ash stays on that stop and how much gets blown away ?. Compare that with all nutrients going back into the soil.

[NeverSure]

Is there any alternative to crop burning ?

Of course there is.. it is just a bit more labor intensive.. meaning to use a plow to plow it over and let the soil take care of it (its better for the soil)

Ha, try that on the side of a mountain..

I'm sure you know that the answer to steep terrain is a bulldozer. We had one when I was growing up and we plowed fields with it. I would plow modest things but I was no match for the expert cat skinners who would scare me when I wasn't even near the cat. As long as your tilling implements are draw bar type and not 3 points, they can pull them just fine. They can also reshape for you. They can do so much so fast that they really aren't that expensive.

The best cat skinner I ever knew told me that you didn't really know your machine until you'd rolled it over a couple of times and he was serious.

When the side hill is steep enough to be marginal for the cat, the skinner just stays ready to turn it uphill if it tips too much. The weight is all transferred to the bottom track so turning uphill is a no brainer.

[canuckamuck]

OK, yes you can do it with a dozer. It seems most of the villagers here have blown their bulldozer budget on a Honda Wave.

@ Robblok If you only got sidehill you got to farm sidehill.

But I agree the guys who are burning the level fields do so because they are clueless about modern soil conservation.

[villagefarang]

Mechanization is slowly catching on with fewer laborers being available for backbreaking agricultural work but most farmers simply can’t afford the purchase of multimillion baht piece of equipment when they are already in debt up to their ears. It wasn't all that long ago they gave up their buffaloes. Things are changing but it takes time to modernize longstanding traditions and practices. Many of the mountain areas where they grow corn it is not only steep but also undulating and uneven with little more than footpaths to access the fields.

[NeverSure]

^^^ Obviously I didn't mean to buy a bulldozer but rather to hire one and perhaps just once to reshape anything that could benefit. He could also pull a tilling implement quite quickly while he was there.

"We" owned a bulldozer but this was a 4,000 acre (10,000 rai?) wheat and cattle ranch and about 2,000 acres was farmed. It wasn't level. A cat was just the ticket. Even then the combines used were self-leveling (or could be leveled) similar to this below:

Cheers.

[sup3r1or]

This bad on burning is doing f.... all here in Phayao, neighbors burning their crap next to the house. Passing through fields people setting them on fire and nobody from army (as was promised) or police (who can't be asked) are anywhere to be found. Today clouds of smoke piling up down the mountains, cant see the mountains.

I remember Asian promise to be smoke free by 2020, right!!!! They will be lucky if they can get their stuff together and do something by 2030.

[canuckamuck]

Well I haven't seen a single plume of smoke over here that wasn't a cooking fire, since the ban began. People are taking it very serious in my area. Unfortunately the visibility is getting worse regardless. Must be the jerks over in Phayao that are ruining it.

[canuckamuck]

Two weeks, and no burning here so far. But also I have noticed that the strong presence of forestry officers has vanished for now. It will be interesting to see how the ban holds now.

Actually I am actually concerned that if they don't burn over the next 6 weeks, they are going to burn it all at the same time. What would that be like? We may not survive.

[sceadugenga]

The air has certainly remained clean after the recent rain.

Almost tempted to go up the mountain to Doi Chang for a coffee.

[ripstanley]

1st of March and I can still see the mountain near our home. I did notice there was burning on the mountain yesterday afternoon. The forestry officers should come down near Phayao.

The rain last week did help.

[sup3r1or]

Lots of smoke here at university of phayao and it is getting worse. Today everything is white. Cant see the mountains where university is.

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[villagefarang]

After that brief weather respite we had, it only took a few days to see a dramatic decline in air quality. When things take turn for the worse it doesn’t take long for mountain views to disappear like they have around where we live. We have the added joy of five kilometers of badly needed roadwork going on near our house. The add dust and now the smell of tar doesn’t do much to improve the situation.

Our road was in really bad shape so I am willing to put up with the additional inconvenience for the longterm benefit of a really nice stretch of road for a change.

[sup3r1or]

After that brief weather respite we had, it only took a few days to see a dramatic decline in air quality. When things take turn for the worse it doesn’t take long for mountain views to disappear like they have around where we live. We have the added joy of five kilometers of badly needed roadwork going on near our house. The add dust and now the smell of tar doesn’t do much to improve the situation.

Our road was in really bad shape so I am willing to put up with the additional inconvenience for the longterm benefit of a really nice stretch of road for a change.

I fail to see how can they fulful haze free asean by 2020

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[canuckamuck]

Yep, so long horizon.

[villagefarang]

After that brief weather respite we had, it only took a few days to see a dramatic decline in air quality. When things take turn for the worse it doesn’t take long for mountain views to disappear like they have around where we live. We have the added joy of five kilometers of badly needed roadwork going on near our house. The add dust and now the smell of tar doesn’t do much to improve the situation.

Our road was in really bad shape so I am willing to put up with the additional inconvenience for the longterm benefit of a really nice stretch of road for a change.

I fail to see how can they fulful haze free asean by 2020

I agree and suspect it will take another generation at least before we see much change. I have seen a lot of change and development in Thailand during my 40 years here but it doesn’t usually happen on the time schedule than some people might prefer.

Politicians say things and give dates well in the future when they will most likely be out of office to make people feel good and have hope. That is just the way the game is played and helps them remain in power for a little longer.

[villagefarang]

Yep, so long horizon.

Gone for now but who knows when it might return. With the strange weather we have had this year we just might get lucky and see the horizon sooner than expected.

[sup3r1or]

After that brief weather respite we had, it only took a few days to see a dramatic decline in air quality. When things take turn for the worse it doesn’t take long for mountain views to disappear like they have around where we live. We have the added joy of five kilometers of badly needed roadwork going on near our house. The add dust and now the smell of tar doesn’t do much to improve the situation.

Our road was in really bad shape so I am willing to put up with the additional inconvenience for the longterm benefit of a really nice stretch of road for a change.

I fail to see how can they fulful haze free asean by 2020

I agree and suspect it will take another generation at least before we see much change. I have seen a lot of change and development in Thailand during my 40 years here but it doesn’t usually happen on the time schedule than some people might prefer.

Politicians say things and give dates well in the future when they will most likely be out of office to make people feel good and have hope. That is just the way the game is played and helps them remain in power for a little longer.

It is true. Most are giving empty promises. They have the power and resources to change things but they arent doing it. People and their attitude are also a problem. Good health for everyone is not good enough incentive.

Remember reading that CP promised 10.000 bht per village to stop burning. For a company that is worth billions of dollars this is a joke. Not to mention the fact they are main contributers to this mess.

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[pomchop]

It's a bit less haze/smoke at my place than last year. I can still see the mountains.

Last year my last daily walk was on March 5 because it was so smoky by then it was unbearable.

Walked this morning and so far so good. BUT...i know better than to think it will last for long....and so booked for my annual exodus next week.

[ripstanley]

Lots of smoke here at university of phayao and it is getting worse. Today everything is white. Cant see the mountains where university is.

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Yes the smoke haze has taken hold. I can just make out the outline of the mountains this afternoon. Nothing will improve until we get rain. One can only hope.

[sup3r1or]

It's a bit less haze/smoke at my place than last year. I can still see the mountains.

Last year my last daily walk was on March 5 because it was so smoky by then it was unbearable.

Walked this morning and so far so good. BUT...i know better than to think it will last for long....and so booked for my annual exodus next week.

Phayao uni now.

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[sceadugenga]

Smoky here today.

[villagefarang]

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1457406407.367498.jpg

Smoky here today.

I think it looks like that pretty much everywhere right now. Hope it doesn't last too long.

[sup3r1or]

It changed to unhealthy here in Phayao. Seems to be coming

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