rice and fruit

[camerashy]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place for this thread (maybe food or career, finances) so moderators please move if it is deemed necessary.

 

I am always amazed at the depth of knowledge of the various posters on this board regarding all things Thai, so I am hoping I could get some advise on the topic of rice marketing. The stuff is grown everywhere throughout Thailand, but just how do the Thai farmers go about marketing the stuff? I mean is each small grower responsible for organising the sale of his own crop, or is it sent to a number of resellers in the city acting on a commission basis? Or is it all controlled by the government in some way, so that everyone is paid the same amount and the rice is then resold from some huge central bank? Or perhaps it is done some other way I have not considered?

The same set of questions applies to the fruit grown in Thailand. Mangoes, pineapples, rambutan, oranges, longans, watermelons, lychees etc are all grown in vast quantities, but how are they then sold by the farmer and distributed throughout the country. I realise a lot of this is sold in the small village markets, and that there are central markets in Bangkok (Talad Thai), but am unsure if the sellers there are selling on a commission basis or they own the fruit outright.

Strange question I know, am I am always getting into trouble with my GF there for asking too many questions. Her answer is always "Why you want to know? You want to know, you go ask!" I guess it is the farang way to want to know how and why things work - hopefully it will not get to the stage when 'curiosity kills the cat.'

[Guest]

Your gf is right, you ask too many questions.

 

And way too complex. Even if someone completely understood the marketing system, I would take hours to explain it all.

 

Wait til you get here and buy someone knowledgeable a few beers. Or go to the gov't sites and read, read, read.

[btm1735]

the simple answer is that like in most parts of the world, a farmer gets loans from the bank to finance the future crop, the loan is secured by his land and crop becomes a commidity which is speculated on. As I said this is the short simple answer, but there is plenty on the web about how system works. Often to the disadvantage of the farmer.

[Guest]

you have to differ between commercial and subsistence farming.

in commercial farming the chain goes from farmer to the local ricemill, and from there to further traders for export or the city markets. the real profit are made only by the mills and further up the chain while the farmers are mosly perpetually indebted to the mills. before every planting season they will have to borrow money from the the mills for fertiliser etc. which have to be paid back as soon as the harvest is brought in. often they will not be able to store and dry the rice long enough to get a decent price for it, but will have to deliver straight away their produce to the mills.

 

in subsistence farming farmers grow mostly for themselves and sell whatever is left on local markets. often there they are not forced to grow heavily fertilised rice 2 or 3 times a year but can grow organic rice just once, and get a better price through a more fair distribution systhem (and the consumer gets a more healthy product).

 

most of the rice here in bangkok and outside thailand is not that great as it often is blended from different qualities, while in the local markets in the villages you get much better qualities.