Comments on: Playing the market in rice http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/02/09/839/ New perspectives on mainland Southeast Asia Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:39:39 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: phrek gypmantasiri http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/02/09/839/comment-page-1/#comment-43923 phrek gypmantasiri Fri, 09 Mar 2007 08:14:02 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/02/09/839/#comment-43923 For the first time in many years the northern Thai farmers received higher price for glutinous rice than non-glutinous rice in 2006-07 season. Recently farmers have been promoted to grow high quality non-glutinous rice for export, namely Kao Dawk Mali 105 or Hom Mali rice, which had highest mortgaged price in 2005 provided by the government. In the 2006 season, farmers continued to allocate larger proportion of their land to non-glutinous rice, hoping to receive high mortgaged price as in 2005. Widespread flooding during the season had damaged rice crop, thus causing price of glutinous rice, which is the staple food crop for the local Northern Thai, to go up. With availability of non-photosensitive and high yielding rice varieties, such as RD 10, and San Patong 1, farmers are able to plant glutinous rice in dry season. The dry season glutinous rice crop, which will be harvested in May-June, will provide food security as well as good income during June to November, before the harvest of the rainy season rice in 2007. In general tobacco has lost its competitiveness. However, in area with favorable soil and water conditions, various forms of contract tobacco farming exist. Farmers are paid on the fresh weight basis. Local tobacco, which is sun cured, continues to be planted by farmers for local market. For the first time in many years the northern Thai farmers received higher price for glutinous rice than non-glutinous rice in 2006-07 season. Recently farmers have been promoted to grow high quality non-glutinous rice for export, namely Kao Dawk Mali 105 or Hom Mali rice, which had highest mortgaged price in 2005 provided by the government.

In the 2006 season, farmers continued to allocate larger proportion of their land to non-glutinous rice, hoping to receive high mortgaged price as in 2005. Widespread flooding during the season had damaged rice crop, thus causing price of glutinous rice, which is the staple food crop for the local Northern Thai, to go up.

With availability of non-photosensitive and high yielding rice varieties, such as RD 10, and San Patong 1, farmers are able to plant glutinous rice in dry season. The dry season glutinous rice crop, which will be harvested in May-June, will provide food security as well as good income during June to November, before the harvest of the rainy season rice in 2007.

In general tobacco has lost its competitiveness. However, in area with favorable soil and water conditions, various forms of contract tobacco farming exist. Farmers are paid on the fresh weight basis. Local tobacco, which is sun cured, continues to be planted by farmers for local market.

]]> By: Jon Fernquest http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/02/09/839/comment-page-1/#comment-29959 Jon Fernquest Fri, 09 Feb 2007 11:23:56 +0000 http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2007/02/09/839/#comment-29959 Re: Tobacco: "Over the past two or three years tobacco has greatly increased in popularity. It is grown under contract (albeit an informal, verbal one) and one of the main attractions is that the company, not the farmer, pays for the seedlings and the fertiliser." One farmer, due west of Chiang Rai just when you start going up in the foothills, told me that there was an agricultural extension program for higher quality tobacco being funded by a foreign tobacco company, I believe American. Corn for pig feed was all the rage a couple of years ago too. [I had the opportunity to talk to farmers when Alliance Francaise Photography Club in Chiang Rai put on an exhibit at Chiang Saen museum a couple of years ago. Nineteenth century photos of the Lamet, a Cambodian hill tribe were also included. The French have lot of real down home and nice things in Thailand, like their recent macrophotography seminar in Chiang Rai.] Re: Tobacco: “Over the past two or three years tobacco has greatly increased in popularity. It is grown under contract (albeit an informal, verbal one) and one of the main attractions is that the company, not the farmer, pays for the seedlings and the fertiliser.”

One farmer, due west of Chiang Rai just when you start going up in the foothills, told me that there was an agricultural extension program for higher quality tobacco being funded by a foreign tobacco company, I believe American. Corn for pig feed was all the rage a couple of years ago too.

[I had the opportunity to talk to farmers when Alliance Francaise Photography Club in Chiang Rai put on an exhibit at Chiang Saen museum a couple of years ago. Nineteenth century photos of the Lamet, a Cambodian hill tribe were also included. The French have lot of real down home and nice things in Thailand, like their recent macrophotography seminar in Chiang Rai.]

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