- For this week’s Farmer Diary, Nate travelled to Khon Kaen to meet with Chairat in person.
- He got to see what he was up to on the farm, hear his concerns, and celebrate his triumphs.
- Here’s the link to the farmers’ bios in case you missed them.
What Have You Been Up To, Chairat?
It’s crushing season, so we’ve been busy harvesting our cane. We’re making good progress, with 40% harvested so far.
Last time we spoke, we had our agricultural yields at 11-12 mt/rai but now these are now looking more positive at 14-15 mt/rai.
I’ve also been busy planting my crops for next season. We’ve planted 1,200 rai of cane (79%), 300 rai of cassava (20%) and 20 rai of rice (1%).
What Stage is Your Crop At, Chairat?
The cane I planted in October for 2022/23 is now germinating. All bar 10% of the seed cane managed to germinate.
It’s clear that the roots have struggled to germinate in the drier areas, so I’m trying to fix this by removing some of the dried seed cane and replacing it with new seed cane. I’m also applying more fertiliser and water.
What’s Your Biggest Concern, Chairat?
Some of my workers aren’t happy to cut fresh cane as it’s more physically taxing. My workers are currently doing so, but this may lead to a long-term lack of workers.
Thailand’s off-season rain caused issues with the harvesting machines last week as they couldn’t access the field due to the wetter and looser soil.
Fortunately, these issues weren’t too prevalent for me, but it’s already hard to see how a 100% mechanised Thai cane would respond to such conditions.
Also, it’s near impossible for Thailand’s smaller farmers, responsible for between 5 and 20 rai, to mechanise their harvests. The machines are large and not suitable for these conditions.
Other Insights That May Be of Interest…
The World Needs More Sugar…Can Thailand Help?
Our Thai Road Trip: Cane, Cassava and Car Trouble
Our Thai Road Trip: Cane and Cassava in Close Competition
Our Thai Road Trip: The Future Looks Bright for the Cane Industry
Will Thailand’s Stricter Cane Burning Rules Hit Sugar Production?
