Govt aims to turn Kingdom into Asean’s No 1 cassava producer
By PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI 
THE NATION

 

BANGKOK: -- THE CASSAVA Management and Policy Committee has introduced new strategies for developing Thailand as the leading Asean cassava producer using innovation and technology.

 

The strategy will be implemented from 2017-2026.

 

After chairing a meeting of the committee, Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn said the vision for developing Thailand’s cassava industry with innovation and technology development would add value to cassava products, and result in Thailand relying less on cassava exports, chiefly to China.

 

“The 10-year strategy will ensure a balanced supply of and demand for cassava for the long term, while continuing to emphasise Thailand as the centre of cassava production and trading with innovation and value added for the product,” she said.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/business/EconomyAndTourism/30301965

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-12-13

Now, there is an achievable ambition. Piss south americans off.

Wait for it ..............

 

The Cassava Hub of SEA and the World.

           The current price of cassava is 1000 baht a ton. At that price it's simply not worth growing it. Locals here are switching from cassava to sugar cane. The powers that be can 'encourage' farmers to grow more but unless the price improves they're wasting their time. Two years ago the price was 2200 baht a ton.

40 minutes ago, Toknarok said:

           The current price of cassava is 1000 baht a ton. At that price it's simply not worth growing it. Locals here are switching from cassava to sugar cane. The powers that be can 'encourage' farmers to grow more but unless the price improves they're wasting their time. Two years ago the price was 2200 baht a ton.

To get a worthwhile crop takes a year or more during which time the price can change dramatically. It seems the article is saying there is good demand for the Casava so I suspect the price to the farmer is being made artificially low by the middle men similarly to the price of rice. It will need official intervention to return fair competition to the market. A small point to add is that we are being offered 1,350 baht/tonne at the moment and 2 years ago it was 2,700. Nevertheless I agree it is simply a waste of land and time to grow Cassava at the moment. 

1 hour ago, Toknarok said:

           The current price of cassava is 1000 baht a ton. At that price it's simply not worth growing it. Locals here are switching from cassava to sugar cane. The powers that be can 'encourage' farmers to grow more but unless the price improves they're wasting their time. Two years ago the price was 2200 baht a ton.

 

No small wonder why some of these farmers get into the yaba business. They can earn more in one week of easy work than they can in a year of very hard labor, and they are assured that there will always be a high demand for their product. Most likely from those who decided to continue growing cassava and are living in dire poverty. 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 20169 yr by jaltsc

So even more farmers here growing the same crop?!

Supply and demand... prices are already so low farmers out in my area are, slowly albeit, switching to other crops. 

 

Over 10 years they will balance supply and demand. Just like they control rice demand? Foreign demand for Thai products are not controllable (by Thai Govt). When will they learn or accept this basic fundamental of world markets! Sheesh!

Oh  it  is okay,  just like  the  salt  industry.  Do  you see  all  those  vendors  that  have  bags  and

bags  of the stuff  along  the  highways,  everybody  with  the same  product,  just like pine apples

or other  such  products.  Over  sell  and over  supply,  some  things  that some  people  just do

not  get.  Sad.

Geezer

First build more warehouses so you can store the excess production,

that no one wants to buy for a few years,you would think they would

learn that producing vast amounts that there is finite demand for will

only lead to big problems.

 

regards worgeordie

 

What they need is vision. Cassava flour is the answer to making bread for all sufferers of Celiacs disease, Leaky Gut and many Auto Immune Diseases caused by Gluten in grain from Wheat, Barley and Rye. We humans were never meant to eat wheat because we do not have the enzymes to digest the gluten protein and it tears our small intestine and causes the immune system to reek havoc on our bodies. Cassava flour is the best alternative to bread making etc.  

2 hours ago, djayz said:

So even more farmers here growing the same crop?!

Supply and demand... prices are already so low farmers out in my area are, slowly albeit, switching to other crops. 

 

 

I live in rural Khampaeng Phet where there is a lot of cassava grown. The reason for that is that is grown on hilly land and it can withstand drought as there is little in the way of a constant water supply out here.

 

If you have a constant water supply and flat land then you can grow rice, if not you have to grow what crops the land is suitable for.

2 hours ago, worgeordie said:

First build more warehouses so you can store the excess production,

that no one wants to buy for a few years,you would think they would

learn that producing vast amounts that there is finite demand for will

only lead to big problems.

 

regards worgeordie

 

 

I think that the warehouses would need to be totally waterproof, temperature and humidity controlled, dust and bug proof and built to a high standard. They would also need a separate entry and exit area from the main storage so that the main storage area is at a fairly constant temperature.

 

The drawback to that would be the cost to build it and keeping it maintained. Thais can maintain it very well IF they are [aid for it. The running costs would be horrendous and the value of the crop being fairly low it would need government support 24/7/365 to recover the ROI.

 

IMHO at the end of the day it wont happen simply because of the costs involved. The same warehouse could be used to store rice as well but not economically at the current world market prices.

2 hours ago, worgeordie said:

First build more warehouses so you can store the excess production,

that no one wants to buy for a few years,you would think they would

learn that producing vast amounts that there is finite demand for will

only lead to big problems.

 

regards worgeordie

 

And the cost for building, for the storage itself, etc. ? This is a stupid proposal as it would make the cost higher, for the poor producer, that is.

Another financial disaster in the making for the small farmers. Will they ever understand?

38 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

I live in rural Khampaeng Phet where there is a lot of cassava grown. The reason for that is that is grown on hilly land and it can withstand drought as there is little in the way of a constant water supply out here.

 

If you have a constant water supply and flat land then you can grow rice, if not you have to grow what crops the land is suitable for.

Excellent point. I come from a farming family (Ireland, where we have the opposte problem when it comes to rainfall) and I'm aware of the fact that certain crops survive in one area/climate but fail in another. 

Where I live, just between Korat and Buriram, I have noticed over the past 12 months farmers planting other crops along side from cassava (i.e. less cassava and one or two other crops). The only reason I noticed this is because the same fields have always been planted with cassava. When I asked my better half why farmers were changing some of the crops, she explained to me that there's not enough money in cassava any more. 

They seem to be replacing cassava with corn-on-the-cob. 

Just my observation, I'm not an expert on the topic. 

 

Filthy muck. Can't they do coffee and avocados instead?

13 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

Filthy muck. Can't they do coffee and avocados instead?

 

What kind of land, water conditions etc would be required to grow them?

 

Fertilisers, chemical or organic?

 

Market, buyers and sellers for them and prices?

Just stick to whst they are good at. No country can produce bullshit of such quality and quantity than Thai officialdom.

Given the country's reputation, they would have more luck turning the Kingdom into ASEAN's No. 1 Cassa no va producer.

Cassava fields near me have been left unweeded and they are not bothering to harvest it. Maybe because the price is too low?

More Bullshit to baffle what few brains are around.   All forgotten by next month like all other 'Government aims'.

Here in Lopburi  cassava is 1.60 baht/kg, not a lot,  more has been grown  around here this year  as sugar cain price  has been low ,this year sugar cain   price  has gone up ,and it is looking well .can not win on  choosing which crop to grow .

I can remember  not so many years ago  Thailand  was the worlds biggest producer of cassava ,it got shipped over to Rotterdam   ,then on to European feed mills .

So now it is going to China makes sense, closer than  Europe , keeps  and the  Asean  market  happy .

@Lungnorm  

I would have thought  you could not make bread with cassava flour ,the  protein  will be  to low only 1.9%  as apposed to wheat flour at 12% protein  ,bread would not rise , you could add extra's  to push up the protein .but would all the extra's do you any good  .