Department defends rice substitution with maize

[Grubster]

10 minutes ago, whatproblem said:

Why ,what's that got to do with crop rotation ,crop rotation is to stop the same goodness being took out the ground every year,in Thailand they put rice every year and have to buy increasingly more fertilisers 

Its got a lot to do, in the UK they have many "profitable crops" as an option, here they have none, telling these farmers to grow corn would be like telling UK farmers to grow rice, something they could not make any money with. Not only is corn not a viable crop here but it is highly subsidized in other countries making the market price very low. The Thai government and its cronies are in the process of taking the land away from the poor farmers, and when they own the land they will have big subsidies that the once farmers can pay for out of their taxes while they work the fields for the super rich at minimum wage. Really simple and effective, and exactly what happened in the USA.

[whatproblem]

1 hour ago, Grubster said:

Its got a lot to do, in the UK they have many "profitable crops" as an option, here they have none, telling these farmers to grow corn would be like telling UK farmers to grow rice, something they could not make any money with. Not only is corn not a viable crop here but it is highly subsidized in other countries making the market price very low. The Thai government and its cronies are in the process of taking the land away from the poor farmers, and when they own the land they will have big subsidies that the once farmers can pay for out of their taxes while they work the fields for the super rich at minimum wage. Really simple and effective, and exactly what happened in the USA.

There are many crops that could be grown here ,the problem is it requires work ,the farmers want it too easy ,they do a few days work and then drink the months away ,plenty of vegetables that could be grown ,they should be growing many different crops but rice is the easiest 

[Grubster]

2 minutes ago, whatproblem said:

There are many crops that could be grown here ,the problem is it requires work ,the farmers want it too easy ,they do a few days work and then drink the months away ,plenty of vegetables that could be grown ,they should be growing many different crops but rice is the easiest 

In case you have never planted or harvested rice, I can tell you it is the most back breaking crop there is. Next time you see one of these old farmers bent over at 90 degrees, I want you to tell them what lazy bums they are. Have you tried to grow any kind of crop here?  Do you think they can grow anything they want here? Most of them here in Issaan do grow an alternative crop, like a small plot of sweet corn, beans, cucumbers, or chili peppers but these are very hard to grow here and they need water when they need water not when mother nature decides they need water. To much water and their dead too. OK now tell us the crops that you recommend that can survive in this climate that don't need timely water and or massive amounts of weed, and bug killer expensive chemicals to grow. 

[Grubster]

14 hours ago, rakman said:

Have the government mandate ethanol in the gas and the farmers could make a little more as the price for imported corn would skyrocket.

Thats a great idea, Cost of one gallon of ethanol from corn is about $10 US per gallon, it also requires about 100 gallons of ground water to produce each gallon. It gets 60% of the Milage that benzine " gasoline" gets. it is very hard on all gaskets and seals in your engine. It is one of the most expensive farm subsidy programs in the USA. The genetics, fertilizer, and chemical companies will be delighted though. All that said do you think they would give the farmers a fair price for the corn if they did do it. If field corn was a viable crop here they could raise beef with it but it isn't so on to the next miracle crop.

[Grubster]

Hemp is the only crop that I can think of that is in high demand and grows like crazy in this environment. Hemp is the strongest plant fiber in the world and can be used in many industries that Thailand could and would be very hard to compete with, such as plastics, textiles, and ropes. All these products would out perform their counterparts. Its a no brainer but will not be used as it flies in the face of big oil [ plastics, rope,polyester etc. ], Big textiles [ cotton and wool ].  I would guess here that a small donation of one billion US per year would keep that idea in check.

[Canceraid]

These things are really hilarious! Are they joking or what.....do they now the current prices for maize????? A lot of people in the North and Northeast are being finacially hurt badly as a result iof the current maize prices plus the fact that no one is buying it.

[Usernames]

On 10/28/2016 at 10:18 AM, Grubster said:

How much rice is grown in the UK, Corn does not fit the climate here. Hemp yes, but won't even consider that.

 

Seems that the danger of drought here would preclude corn crops.  But not according to this: http://www.sjonhauser.nl/corn-or-maize-essential-crop-for-millions-of-thai-farmers.html

[whatproblem]

1 hour ago, Grubster said:

In case you have never planted or harvested rice, I can tell you it is the most back breaking crop there is. Next time you see one of these old farmers bent over at 90 degrees, I want you to tell them what lazy bums they are. Have you tried to grow any kind of crop here?  Do you think they can grow anything they want here? Most of them here in Issaan do grow an alternative crop, like a small plot of sweet corn, beans, cucumbers, or chili peppers but these are very hard to grow here and they need water when they need water not when mother nature decides they need water. To much water and their dead too. OK now tell us the crops that you recommend that can survive in this climate that don't need timely water and or massive amounts of weed, and bug killer expensive chemicals to grow. 

I live near buriram in a small village,have lived here 12 years ,I know about growing rice ,have machines to harvest it or can be done manually.how long you stayed there? They work for a week to get ground ready and plant then they sit on their arse for 3 months 

[Grubster]

24 minutes ago, Usernames said:

 

Seems that the danger of drought here would preclude corn crops.  But not according to this: http://www.sjonhauser.nl/corn-or-maize-essential-crop-for-millions-of-thai-farmers.html

There are many reasons corn is not a viable crop here, I have stated some above, I grew up in the area where the flying ear of corn in one of the photos from above web site originated, I do know about Corn. Farmers in the US corn belt are producing an average crop of 175 bushel per acre [ 2.5 ria ] at $3.50 [ 125 baht ] per bushel,  I would be willing to bet that no thai farmer is producing 70 bushel per acre, But lets give them that. 70 times 125 baht = about 3500 baht per ria. The expensive seed, fertilizers, weed and bug chemicals would use more than 1/2 of that. They may have a local use here for it but they will never penetrate the world market in corn.

    Corn will not grow in water so typical rice patty areas are out of the question anyway.

[Grubster]

32 minutes ago, whatproblem said:

I live near buriram in a small village,have lived here 12 years ,I know about growing rice ,have machines to harvest it or can be done manually.how long you stayed there? They work for a week to get ground ready and plant then they sit on their arse for 3 months 

First they have to have a seedling plot of rice, then they have to dig this up by hand and separate into thousands of little bundles ready to plant, then it takes three people one 10 hour day to plant one ria by hand bent over all day, then it takes three people one day per rai to harvest one ria per day, then they have to guard this on the farm for several nights while it dries a bit, then they have to gather it up and take it to a threshing machine, then they have to spread it out to let it dry, then they have to take it to the mill to remove the husks, then they have to take it to a buyer. all this to make less than 2000 baht per rai . 

                      They can also broadcast the seeds and get half the yield, and they can pay 700 baht per rai to have the combine pick it for them.

          I also live in a small village in Sakon Nakhon and the plots of rice here are usually less than one rai between the small berms to control water, The land around your area is much flatter allowing much bigger plots.

         Most, not all, farmers here either grow another crop like, beans, cucumbers, sweet corn, peppers, Thai potatoes, etc. requiring constant care to get a meager crop or work construction and or any other jobs they can find at minimum wage or less.  Not very lazy in my book.  I think you see what you want to see. The ones that lay around are just like the ones in our home countries laying around not caring if they get anywhere. The problem here is the ones working hard constantly are getting no where.

[tbthailand]

On October 27, 2016 at 11:30 PM, webfact said:

Moreover, he said that maize generates better income for farmers than rice does as the price of rice depends on the demand of overseas markets

 

And of course the price of corn does not, ... 

 

These guys can't even generate halfway believable lies, ... 

[bokningar]

On 10/28/2016 at 6:37 AM, khwaibah said:

You still need water and in isaan its getting on to dry season. No rain for about 6 months. So bright guys WHERE IS THE FORKING WATER. At 5 baht per kilo for rice it won't go far.

 

So 5 THB/ kilo is all they get?

How many kilo would you get on 1 rai, sorry for being ignorant.

I guess harvest 3 times a year is of the table now?

[bokningar]

4 hours ago, Grubster said:

Hemp is the only crop that I can think of that is in high demand and grows like crazy in this environment. Hemp is the strongest plant fiber in the world and can be used in many industries that Thailand could and would be very hard to compete with, such as plastics, textiles, and ropes. All these products would out perform their counterparts. Its a no brainer but will not be used as it flies in the face of big oil [ plastics, rope,polyester etc. ], Big textiles [ cotton and wool ].  I would guess here that a small donation of one billion US per year would keep that idea in check.

Sounds like a brilliant idea.

If there is a market why is it not happening?

If it is money in it, some one must be willing to try it.

 

[Grubster]

15 minutes ago, bokningar said:

Sounds like a brilliant idea.

If there is a market why is it not happening?

If it is money in it, some one must be willing to try it.

 

Farmers in the US have tried for years to get this crop freed up, it is a controlled substance but the THC that gets you high is so low in it that no pot smoker would use it if it were free, High THC content can be seen with scopes from planes easily to discourage hiding the dope in the Hemp fields. I think the Big world oil lobby and Big textiles lobby keeps it under wraps with nice payouts to all those in the position to advocate such a crop. Canada has legalized pot but I don't think they have the right climate to grow the hemp. I think the same companies are behind the nonleagalization of pot too. Some country will do it someday and they will reap the benefits quickly.

[bokningar]

5 minutes ago, Grubster said:

Farmers in the US have tried for years to get this crop freed up, it is a controlled substance but the THC that gets you high is so low in it that no pot smoker would use it if it were free, High THC content can be seen with scopes from planes easily to discourage hiding the dope in the Hemp fields. I think the Big world oil lobby and Big textiles lobby keeps it under wraps with nice payouts to all those in the position to advocate such a crop. Canada has legalized pot but I don't think they have the right climate to grow the hemp. I think the same companies are behind the nonleagalization of pot too. Some country will do it someday and they will reap the benefits quickly.

So if anyone would GMO Hamp to not have any THC at all, would that be a way around it?

[Grubster]

9 minutes ago, bokningar said:

So if anyone would GMO Hamp to not have any THC at all, would that be a way around it?

I think it has been done and no the big lobby's rule this world now. Maybe a crazy guy like the one in the Philippines would try it I don't know but Thailand sure should. Google hemp production and read a bit, I think you'll like what you read. 

[rakman]

16 hours ago, Grubster said:

Thats a great idea, Cost of one gallon of ethanol from corn is about $10 US per gallon, it also requires about 100 gallons of ground water to produce each gallon. It gets 60% of the Milage that benzine " gasoline" gets. it is very hard on all gaskets and seals in your engine. It is one of the most expensive farm subsidy programs in the USA. The genetics, fertilizer, and chemical companies will be delighted though. All that said do you think they would give the farmers a fair price for the corn if they did do it. If field corn was a viable crop here they could raise beef with it but it isn't so on to the next miracle crop.

I forgot to use the /sarc flag, but you eloquently pointed out what I was hoping others would pick up.