Insight Focus
- I have already harvested 100% of my cane 22/23.
- Cassava proportion has slightly increased when compared to previous year.
- El Nino is still my biggest concern for 23/24.
What have you been up to?
I began harvesting cane in December and continued for four months. I have now harvested 100% of my cane area.
Given that the cane is being harvested by both machinery (cutting machine, harvesting machine etc.) and hand, the production is quite acceptable, with 80% fresh cane and 20% burnt cane.
I just started planting cassava for a second round this year in April, first round was in March 2023.
Applying some cow-dung on the area that I used to plant cassava last crop season and replanting again this time. Why? To improve the soil condition and get ready before planting new cassava.
I am waiting for Songkran Holiday (Thai New Year) to end first, then I will start applying fertilizer and pesticide to my cane area, which usually starts around April to May 2023.
What stage is your crop at?
There was a little rain last month showering on my area which was beneficial to cassava. Otherwise, the planting procedure will be challenging if the soil condition is too dry.
In addition to new cane, the ratoon was wilting and dry last month due to hot summer temperature.
However, it is recovering now because there is rainfall, causing the leaves to become greener now. This incident also increases the rate of survival for cane and cassava which make me relieved.
Last year the rain pattern was quite unusual, causing the cane to stunt its growth. The length is long but also too skinny. While there has not been much rain this year compared to the same time last year, I expected cane to be lower, but this will reverse if there is more rain next month.
The ratio of cane and cassava within my area has changed a little because cassava price is high, so the cassava proportion has slightly increased when compared to last year.
What’s your biggest concern?
What I am concerned about now is that the El Nino might hit harder than I expected, and it will affect my cane especially. Therefore, I am now currently monitoring the rainfall and weather everyday so I can take control at the right moment to prevent as much damage as possible.
Otherwise, I am not concerned, the price seems reasonable to me given that the production cost and labour cost are still expensive. When I add everything up, with good plans and management it is worth the wait for my cane to continue growing.
