Rice is out, beans are in as Thailand's farmers return to school

[webfact]

Rice Is Out, Beans Are in as Thailand's Farmers Return to School
by Supunnabul Suwannakij, Chris Blake

BANGKOK: -- Rice farmer Prapatpon Rungsatien perches on a plastic chair in a classroom in rural Thailand. Ceiling fans stir the humid air as she and 49 of her neighbors hunker down for a talk on Southeast Asian economics.

Prapatpon, 48, returned to school last month for a state-funded training program designed to wean farmers off water-intensive rice and teach them how to grow other crops. With lessons spanning everything from accounting to chicken husbandry, the government is trying to reduce a record stockpile of the cereal at a time when farmers are facing the worst drought in two decades.

The government in Thailand, typically the world’s largest rice exporter, has advised farmers on producing alternatives to the crop for a decade.

Full story: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-10/rice-is-out-beans-are-in-as-thailand-s-farmers-return-to-school

-- Bloomberg Business 2016-03-11

[Thian]

Eccuse me, Thailand is NOT the biggest rice-exporter....And the Thai Baht is too high to become the biggest again.

[ace]

Good idea.

Even better, promote 1 tambon and self sufficiency fully, generate demand for local, organic produce. Unlikely, I know, CP would not be happy.

[maoro2013]

I think they would be talking about bookkeeping rather than accounting, which is largely law.

[Prbkk]

There was a good story in the paper the other day about farmers changing to melon growing, with significant success ( but quite high set-up costs)

[ronwparker]

Good news for farmers and beans are better than rice which gives people diabeties!

[soalbundy]

Where is the market for all these beans? Teaching is good but provide a market for crops other than rice. Farmers would change their produce rapidly if they knew where they could sell it,with rice they know where to go it's a well established market, beans....i'm not so sure, chickens? i know people who have lost money raising chickens to sell eggs, a man in my village is trying ducks he has 20, it is costing him 400 Baht a month in feed and nobody has bought one nor bought the eggs, it isn't easy.

[timber]

White rice isn't the most nutritious or profitable crop to grow where is the government is providing micro-site alternative. It's only the nation, its health and viability at stake.

[Jimbo2014]

So in 5 years time we will have the great bean scandle. Been there done that ???

[soalbundy]

Good news for farmers and beans are better than rice which gives people diabeties!

That was a joke right? or do you think Thai's will now stop eating rice and stuff themselves with runner beans?

[ThaiKneeTim]

With predictions of chocolate shortage I would have thought they'd be looking at cocoa bean production!

I have no idea how long it takes for the trees to mature and bear fruit though, but it has to be an option!

[thesetat2013]

At my farm we try to have such a variety of things grown so that their is an income year-round for the family. Palm oil trees, bananas, mangoes, beans, even Bell peppers. Thais need to stop counting on their rice crops as well as rubber and palm oil. Thais also need to learn about planting their crops in different sections of their land and leaving sections unplanted for a year. They are raping the land of its vitamins and minerals and eventually nothing will grow there at all. Their use of commercial nutrients does not supplement what nature provides.

[impulse]

Eccuse me, Thailand is NOT the biggest rice-exporter....And the Thai Baht is too high to become the biggest again.

Hmmmm....

Rank Country 2015 Milled Rice Exports (1000 MT)

1 Thailand 10,300

2 India 8,500

3 Viet Nam 7,300

4 Pakistan 4,600

5 United States 3,239

6 Myanmar 1,800

7 Uruguay 950

8 Brazil 900

9 Cambodia 800

10 Guyana 536

http://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?commodity=milled-rice&graph=exports

Edited March 11, 2016 by impulse

[soalbundy]

At my farm we try to have such a variety of things grown so that their is an income year-round for the family. Palm oil trees, bananas, mangoes, beans, even Bell peppers. Thais need to stop counting on their rice crops as well as rubber and palm oil. Thais also need to learn about planting their crops in different sections of their land and leaving sections unplanted for a year. They are raping the land of its vitamins and minerals and eventually nothing will grow there at all. Their use of commercial nutrients does not supplement what nature provides.

so where do you sell your produce ? if it is a small farm with low production you could rent a stall at a market if you have 250 rai what does one do ? Leaving land to fallow was a medieval construction which worked well but these days farmers have large debts and need to use all of the land to keep their heads above water. What you say about nutrients is correct but farmers have used fertilizers for so long now i fear it is a losing battle however the cost of chemical fertilizers is so expensive now that farmers a going for a mix, some chemical and some natural (chicken excrement mixed with rice husks ) we tare doing that,it works well.

[robblok]

At my farm we try to have such a variety of things grown so that their is an income year-round for the family. Palm oil trees, bananas, mangoes, beans, even Bell peppers. Thais need to stop counting on their rice crops as well as rubber and palm oil. Thais also need to learn about planting their crops in different sections of their land and leaving sections unplanted for a year. They are raping the land of its vitamins and minerals and eventually nothing will grow there at all. Their use of commercial nutrients does not supplement what nature provides.

so where do you sell your produce ? if it is a small farm with low production you could rent a stall at a market if you have 250 rai what does one do ? Leaving land to fallow was a medieval construction which worked well but these days farmers have large debts and need to use all of the land to keep their heads above water. What you say about nutrients is correct but farmers have used fertilizers for so long now i fear it is a losing battle however the cost of chemical fertilizers is so expensive now that farmers a going for a mix, some chemical and some natural (chicken excrement mixed with rice husks ) we tare doing that,it works well.

In my country they still leave land fallow.. or rotate it with other farmers like one year tulips on it the next year cows. Nothing medieval about it.

As for a 250 rai far.. that is no longer small scale (in Thailand) and the economy of scale should work then. (if not stop what your doing because your no good at it)

For someone who claims to know it all about farming you seem to only complain about how bad farmers life is and how things are impossible.

Edited March 11, 2016 by robblok

[Hawk]

Thais need to stop counting on their rice crops as well as rubber and palm oil. Thais also need to learn about planting their crops in different sections of their land and leaving sections unplanted for a year. They are raping the land of its vitamins and minerals and eventually nothing will grow there at all. Their use of commercial nutrients does not supplement what nature provides.

Lots of Thai farmers only own small fields so no space to leave fallow. And the land was raped a long time ago after chemical fertilizers were first introduced.

As for growing other things, how many Thais like beans? Also, if they all start growing melons or whatever, then the market will be flooded and the price will drop, so again the farmers will lose out.

[terryp]

Dumb as a bag of rocks , I just cant say it without getting angry ...SORT OUT THE <deleted> WATER PROBLEM...its going to be flooding time in a few months

[robblok]

Thais need to stop counting on their rice crops as well as rubber and palm oil. Thais also need to learn about planting their crops in different sections of their land and leaving sections unplanted for a year. They are raping the land of its vitamins and minerals and eventually nothing will grow there at all. Their use of commercial nutrients does not supplement what nature provides.

Lots of Thai farmers only own small fields so no space to leave fallow. And the land was raped a long time ago after chemical fertilizers were first introduced.

As for growing other things, how many Thais like beans? Also, if they all start growing melons or whatever, then the market will be flooded and the price will drop, so again the farmers will lose out.

What is a chemical fertilizer.. as far as I know most are phosphate based.. and that is a naturally occurring product. Nothing wrong with fertilizers be they cow dung, or "chemical" ones as you write. The problem is the overuse of the land.

If its so bad for farmers.. a lot of them should just quit. Its the same with many jobs.. they change.. they get redundant. Why should farming be any different. If there are too many farmers.. prices drop. Get out of farming. And no its not easy but was it easy for all those others that had to change their jobs.. personal computer sales persons (now its all tablets and phones). I can find many more occupations that have changed or become redundant. Why should farming be any different. Yes it means hardship.. but that is what change does. I know quite a few of my friends who had to re educate themselves because their line of work changed. Some never found a good job again.

[soalbundy]

At my farm we try to have such a variety of things grown so that their is an income year-round for the family. Palm oil trees, bananas, mangoes, beans, even Bell peppers. Thais need to stop counting on their rice crops as well as rubber and palm oil. Thais also need to learn about planting their crops in different sections of their land and leaving sections unplanted for a year. They are raping the land of its vitamins and minerals and eventually nothing will grow there at all. Their use of commercial nutrients does not supplement what nature provides.

so where do you sell your produce ? if it is a small farm with low production you could rent a stall at a market if you have 250 rai what does one do ? Leaving land to fallow was a medieval construction which worked well but these days farmers have large debts and need to use all of the land to keep their heads above water. What you say about nutrients is correct but farmers have used fertilizers for so long now i fear it is a losing battle however the cost of chemical fertilizers is so expensive now that farmers a going for a mix, some chemical and some natural (chicken excrement mixed with rice husks ) we tare doing that,it works well.

In my country they still leave land fallow.. or rotate it with other farmers like one year tulips on it the next year cows. Nothing medieval about it.

As for a 250 rai far.. that is no longer small scale (in Thailand) and the economy of scale should work then. (if not stop what your doing because your no good at it)

For someone who claims to know it all about farming you seem to only complain about how bad farmers life is and how things are impossible.

I don't know it all, in fact i know very little about the mechanics of it all. Leaving fields to fallow was a medieval invention which increased food production enormously,nothing wrong with that if you have excess land,nature knows best, i don't believe large farms in Europe employ this method anymore and prefer the use of chemicals, short sighted in the long run.

The economy of large scale works if you have a functioning market for your produce so i was interested to know what 'thesetat2013' did. Most farms revolve around rice farming with a little husbandry thrown in it is a system which has evolved and worked for hundreds of years but seems to have broken down of late.

It isn't impossible to make a living as a farmer, i never said that, it just isn't easy. The government has expertise and instead of just saying hey! plant something else, could employ their expertise in forming markets for different produce which would be cheaper than subsidies for the failed rice market. It is far beyond the abilities of the average farmer to find or establish markets other than setting up a market stall.

My wife does a mix of sorts, rice on 50 rai near a small klong, sugar cane on 100 rai and the rest is rented out for a small sum to various farmers, it isn't worth the risk of drought this year to do much else, if we lose 50 rai of rice it isn't the end of the world. I would like to try my hand at durian trees for the future but then you would have to guard the fields against theft 24/7

[ThaiKneeTim]

At my farm we try to have such a variety of things grown so that their is an income year-round for the family. Palm oil trees, bananas, mangoes, beans, even Bell peppers. Thais need to stop counting on their rice crops as well as rubber and palm oil. Thais also need to learn about planting their crops in different sections of their land and leaving sections unplanted for a year. They are raping the land of its vitamins and minerals and eventually nothing will grow there at all. Their use of commercial nutrients does not supplement what nature provides.

so where do you sell your produce ? if it is a small farm with low production you could rent a stall at a market if you have 250 rai what does one do ? Leaving land to fallow was a medieval construction which worked well but these days farmers have large debts and need to use all of the land to keep their heads above water. What you say about nutrients is correct but farmers have used fertilizers for so long now i fear it is a losing battle however the cost of chemical fertilizers is so expensive now that farmers a going for a mix, some chemical and some natural (chicken excrement mixed with rice husks ) we tare doing that,it works well.

Over use of chemical fertilizers has resulted in ground water pollution in some areas of the UK. To avoid the food mountains of the 80's caused by EU subsidies the EU now pays farmers to leave fields fallow.

Of course the canny farmers have capitalised on this by harvesting grass as sillage and hay, or leasing the land for solar farms!

Note: Early EU subsidies were meant to assist smallholders but the industrialised farmers took advantage and created a glut.

Edited March 11, 2016 by ThaiKneeTim

[soalbundy]

Thais need to stop counting on their rice crops as well as rubber and palm oil. Thais also need to learn about planting their crops in different sections of their land and leaving sections unplanted for a year. They are raping the land of its vitamins and minerals and eventually nothing will grow there at all. Their use of commercial nutrients does not supplement what nature provides.

Lots of Thai farmers only own small fields so no space to leave fallow. And the land was raped a long time ago after chemical fertilizers were first introduced.

As for growing other things, how many Thais like beans? Also, if they all start growing melons or whatever, then the market will be flooded and the price will drop, so again the farmers will lose out.

What is a chemical fertilizer.. as far as I know most are phosphate based.. and that is a naturally occurring product. Nothing wrong with fertilizers be they cow dung, or "chemical" ones as you write. The problem is the overuse of the land.

If its so bad for farmers.. a lot of them should just quit. Its the same with many jobs.. they change.. they get redundant. Why should farming be any different. If there are too many farmers.. prices drop. Get out of farming. And no its not easy but was it easy for all those others that had to change their jobs.. personal computer sales persons (now its all tablets and phones). I can find many more occupations that have changed or become redundant. Why should farming be any different. Yes it means hardship.. but that is what change does. I know quite a few of my friends who had to re educate themselves because their line of work changed. Some never found a good job again.

I read that roughly 40% of the population rely on farming for a living, you think that Thai industry is ready to absorb this number of unskilled labour?

[thesetat2013]

Thais need to stop counting on their rice crops as well as rubber and palm oil. Thais also need to learn about planting their crops in different sections of their land and leaving sections unplanted for a year. They are raping the land of its vitamins and minerals and eventually nothing will grow there at all. Their use of commercial nutrients does not supplement what nature provides.

Lots of Thai farmers only own small fields so no space to leave fallow. And the land was raped a long time ago after chemical fertilizers were first introduced.

As for growing other things, how many Thais like beans? Also, if they all start growing melons or whatever, then the market will be flooded and the price will drop, so again the farmers will lose out.

What is a chemical fertilizer.. as far as I know most are phosphate based.. and that is a naturally occurring product. Nothing wrong with fertilizers be they cow dung, or "chemical" ones as you write. The problem is the overuse of the land.

If its so bad for farmers.. a lot of them should just quit. Its the same with many jobs.. they change.. they get redundant. Why should farming be any different. If there are too many farmers.. prices drop. Get out of farming. And no its not easy but was it easy for all those others that had to change their jobs.. personal computer sales persons (now its all tablets and phones). I can find many more occupations that have changed or become redundant. Why should farming be any different. Yes it means hardship.. but that is what change does. I know quite a few of my friends who had to re educate themselves because their line of work changed. Some never found a good job again.

I read that roughly 40% of the population rely on farming for a living, you think that Thai industry is ready to absorb this number of unskilled labour?

Surely your joking. Thailand hides it's unemployment numbers through its farming industry. You are not unemployed if you do side work on other people's farms.

[Autonuaq]

Eccuse me, Thailand is NOT the biggest rice-exporter....And the Thai Baht is too high to become the biggest again.

Hmmmm....

Rank Country 2015 Milled Rice Exports (1000 MT)

1 Thailand 10,300

2 India 8,500

3 Viet Nam 7,300

4 Pakistan 4,600

5 United States 3,239

6 Myanmar 1,800

7 Uruguay 950

8 Brazil 900

9 Cambodia 800

10 Guyana 536

http://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?commodity=milled-rice&graph=exports

Not so sure who to believe Sure not the americans , but know that Thailand is not the number on anymore

India has overtaken Thailand as the world's largest rice exporter in 2015, shipping 10.23 million tonnes, a top Thai rice exporters body said on Wednesday. Thai Rice Exporters Association Chairman Charoen Laodhammatas said that Thailand exported 9.8 million tonnes of rice in 2015, down 10.8% year-on-year.Jan 27, 2016

http://www.worldstopexports.com/rice-exports-country/

Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of rice during 2014:

1. India: US$7.9 billion (31.8% of total rice exports)
2. Thailand: $5.4 billion (21.9%)
3. Pakistan: $2.2 billion (8.8%)
4. United States: $2 billion (8%)
5. Vietnam: $1.8 billion (7.4%)
6. Italy: $699.5 million (2.8%)
7. Uruguay: $513.1 million (2.1%)
8. Brazil: $397 million (1.6%)
9. China: $378.3 million (1.5%)
10. Australia: $352.8 million (1.4%)
11. Cambodia: $295.6 million (1.2%)
12. Belgium: $280.6 million (1.1%)
13. Argentina: $275.6 million (1.1%)
14. Guyana: $240.5 million (1%)
15. Netherlands: $224.3 million (0.9%)

Among the above countries, the fastest-growing rice exporters since 2010 were: Cambodia (up 750.7%), Australia (up 545.1%), India (up 244.4%) and Brazil (up 151.8%).

Bucking the upbeat trend was Netherlands, which posted a 43.5% decline in the value of its rice shipments from 2010 to 2014. Also experiencing drops were Guyana (down 14.5%), Argentina (down 9.1%) and Belgium (down 3.4%).

The listed 15 countries shipped 92.5% of all rice exports in 2014 (by value).

and other list

Rice Exports by Country

MARCH 6, 2016 BY DANIEL WORKMAN

Vietnamese rice field

Rice exports by country totaled US$24.9 billion in 2014 up by an overall 22.7% for all rice shippers over the five-year period starting in 2010. However, the value of global rice exports dipped 2.2% from 2013 to 2014.

Among continents, Asian countries accounted for the highest dollar value worth of rice exports during 2014 with shipments amounting to $18.6 billion or three-quarters (74.6%) of all rice exports.

The 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for rice is 1006.

Rice Exports by Country

• Countries
• Advantages
• Opportunities
• Companies

Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of rice during 2014:

1. India: US$7.9 billion (31.8% of total rice exports)
2. Thailand: $5.4 billion (21.9%)
3. Pakistan: $2.2 billion (8.8%)
4. United States: $2 billion (8%)
5. Vietnam: $1.8 billion (7.4%)
6. Italy: $699.5 million (2.8%)
7. Uruguay: $513.1 million (2.1%)
8. Brazil: $397 million (1.6%)
9. China: $378.3 million (1.5%)
10. Australia: $352.8 million (1.4%)
11. Cambodia: $295.6 million (1.2%)
12. Belgium: $280.6 million (1.1%)
13. Argentina: $275.6 million (1.1%)
14. Guyana: $240.5 million (1%)
15. Netherlands: $224.3 million (0.9%)

Among the above countries, the fastest-growing rice exporters since 2010 were: Cambodia (up 750.7%), Australia (up 545.1%), India (up 244.4%) and Brazil (up 151.8%).

Bucking the upbeat trend was Netherlands, which posted a 43.5% decline in the value of its rice shipments from 2010 to 2014. Also experiencing drops were Guyana (down 14.5%), Argentina (down 9.1%) and Belgium (down 3.4%).

The listed 15 countries shipped 92.5% of all rice exports in 2014 (by value).

Searchable List of Rice Exporting Countries

You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below.

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Rank Exporters 2014 Rice Exports % World Total 1. India US$7.9 billion 31.8% 2. Thailand $5.4 billion 21.9% 3. Pakistan $2.2 billion 8.8% 4. United States $2 billion 8% 5. Vietnam $1.8 billion 7.4% 6. Italy $699.5 million 2.8% 7. Uruguay $513.1 million 2.1% 8. Brazil $396.8 million 1.6% 9. China $378.3 million 1.5% 10. Australia $352.8 million 1.4%

Edited March 11, 2016 by Autonuaq

[worgeordie]

Now the warehouses are going to be filled with a glut of beans,

and all this increased farting is not going to help the air quality.

regards Worgeordie

[Eric Loh]

Eccuse me, Thailand is NOT the biggest rice-exporter....And the Thai Baht is too high to become the biggest again.

Hmmmm....

Rank Country 2015 Milled Rice Exports (1000 MT)

1 Thailand 10,300

2 India 8,500

3 Viet Nam 7,300

4 Pakistan 4,600

5 United States 3,239

6 Myanmar 1,800

7 Uruguay 950

8 Brazil 900

9 Cambodia 800

10 Guyana 536

http://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?commodity=milled-rice&graph=exports

Plus the Baht strength versus USD is relative to all the top rice competing countries. Really no gain nor loss in competiveness. India export rumored to drop 20% this year due to tight supplies and growing domestic demand. Thailand has healthy supply and much depend on the government ability to sell. Thailand will still top rice export this year.

[ThaiKneeTim]

Beans beans are good for your heart,

the more you eat the more you fart

the more you fart the better you feel

beans beans for every meal!!

[colinneil]

Remember a few years ago, grow eucalyptus, grow rubber, then every farmer started doing it the price fell.

Now they are complaining that it costs more to produce than what they are getting paid.

So soon every farmer will be producing beans and the price will drop because of over supply.

[soalbundy]

Beans beans are good for your heart,

the more you eat the more you fart

the more you fart the better you feel

beans beans for every meal!!

I suppose that was written by Dylan Thomas just before he wrote 'Don't go gentle into that good night'

[billd766]

There was a good story in the paper the other day about farmers changing to melon growing, with significant success ( but quite high set-up costs)

The melons my wife buys in the local market and the ones I buy in Makro are quite small this year, probably due to a lack of water.

[billd766]

With predictions of chocolate shortage I would have thought they'd be looking at cocoa bean production!

I have no idea how long it takes for the trees to mature and bear fruit though, but it has to be an option!

A TVF link from 10 years ago.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/93427-cocoa/