As I live and work with small-scale rice farmers in northeastern Thailand (Esan), the topic of yield is commonly discussed. Though I’m young and somewhat inexperienced, I hope my observations can make a contribution to the discussion here.
Esan is known for it’s poor soil quality to begin with, but I believe farmers’ dependence on nitrogen fertilizers (as opposed to organic soil improvement) has been a major contributor to the very gradual increase seen on the chart. Farmers have increased their chemical fertilizer use exponentially since it was first introduced during the Green Revolution. While fertilizer use seems to have reached a plateau, with exhausted soils and inefficient water management in paddies (as well as many seasons with real drought conditions, like in 2007 and 2008), yields are bound to remain low or even decline.
Further, as Jean-Philippe mentioned, many farmers simply don’t put the time and energy into their rice crop in order to reap high yields. Many decide to invest in their children’s education or buy goods for use around the household (some more beneficial than others). Fertilizers are also very expensive to begin with. Many farmers are only in the village during the planting and harvesting seasons, working in other labor-intensive jobs during the rest of the year. Rice prices remain relatively low, so there’s little incentive to focus on rice when crops like cassava, sugarcane and rubber are frequently promoted and advertised as more lucrative.
That said, there is a small movement of organic farmers working to improve soil, preserve and develop indigenous seed varieties and support local food systems – the Alternative Agriculture Network – Esan. We have been using System of Rice Intensification (SRI) techniques with huge success to preserve and expand indigenous rice varieites. Many of these varieties yield as high or higher than Jasmine, and importantly, are suited to the ecological diversity in a given farmers’ paddies. Some of our members in Ubon Ratchatani province have also been able to achieve 1.5 to 2 ton per rai yields, by planting using SRI techniques and growing a “floating rice” variety, well-suited to flooding in the area.
For more information about our network, please visit aanesan.wordpress.com
It is a common and crass misconception that the Burmese generals are puppets of the Chinese. Burmese have never listened to anyone throughout history, and you ignore Burmese nationalism at your peril. They are however definitely engaging in a game of dangerous brinkmanship. That’s why they’d taken Sen. Webb’s visit as a kind of green light to launch a planned attack on the Kokang.
Obama doesn’t even have to lean on the Chinese to tame the generals if that’s what the Chinese want. But is it also what Obama wants, never mind Webb? China may withdraw its support for the junta at the UN, or simply choose to support the various armed ethnic groups and breathe life back into the communist insurgency like they did back in 1968. That’s if it reckons the disruption will be only short term, since unlike four decades ago there is now a lot at stake in the way of Chinese economic and strategic interests in Burma .
Now that’s a very long shot, but if push comes to shove, it might do just that, short of an invasion. An all out war between the two countries however is very unlikely. They agreed to co-exist peacefully shortly after the modern states came into being, and the last time hostilities broke out was in the 18th century when China saw Burmese expansionism as a threat.
Now she is thrown into solitary and forced to wear an identifiable name tag that says she’s a nasty royal cursing lady. 18 year seemed like a long time, but now she is to be harassed in several ways. What a great bunch the royalists are. Given the hullabaloo over Stephen C.I.A. Young and the comments he made – Hitler, Stalin – and earlier comments on this blog about holocaust denial, maybe it is not too much to link to this: http://history1900s.about.com/od/holocaust/a/yellowstar.htm (it is yellow…). This treatment of the woman is truly disgraceful.
” Beijing’s sway over Myanmar may be too weak to deter the junta from launching fresh offensives against armed ethnic groups on its volatile frontier with China, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a new report.
In a survey of the opaque relationship between China and its neighbour, the group found Beijing’s influence over the generals who rule Myanmar is more brittle than many human rights campaigners and Western diplomats assume…..”
I am Laotian/Vietnamese and that first comments really do make me think about how racist Thais really are! I guess rumors around Vietnam and Laos are true about Thailand I wouldn’t mind letting both of our country splitting up Thailand into 3 section any time soon and for those ignorant Thais out there we can just turn them into our Slave or be killed. This is just a thought on how much Thailand are alone in SouthEast Asia with no true allies at most cheers!
‘The situation of Thailand and China cannot be compared, but it seems like the junta is testing the waters with China for a similar outcome.’
Yes, I’m sure you are right about that. How China will respond to the situation will be more interesting and important than Obama’s predicted change in policy. The Kokang Incident as they call it seems ‘over’, but I don’t think the Chinese are amused.
As to the northeast, where I have spent the vast majority of my forty years in and out of Thailand, let’s not belittle the gulf between it and Bangkok. The authorities are still under orders not to let Isaan people bother those in Bangkok, and techniques used to keep these people roped in are much different than those in Bangkok.
Ah,, another “Thaksin’s the problem” man, and a well-educated one to boot!
Suthichai Yoon is to be commended for his personal achievements and perseverance all along no matter what criticism I offer him. But this interview reminds me the time Suthichai interviewed American ambassador to Thailand, I believe it was Hecklinger, and the ambassador gave a rather long analysis of problems Thailand was having and how the US was reacting toward them. At the end of the speech, Suthichai asked Hecklinger, “Well,…how do you expect me to explain this to the Thai people?”
And the ease in which Hecklinger replied was legion: “The same way I just explained it to you.”
Coming back to the Young interview then, that point going past both Young and Yoon’s heads was the point about things here being much more than just a matter of Thaksin having gotten away with too much. The core apparatus is rotten from within, and while I personally believe Thaksin should get what is coming to him, interviews like this that gloss over major murdering by former leaders and their corruption by somehow saying they all either left or never got off the hook is a lie. Many of them were given royal pardons across the board, particularly in the aftermath of was it 1973 when both victim and state perpetrator were forgiven as if blood had never been shed.
We don’t need pseudo-academics that are really apologists for maintaining the status quo to be interviewed. We need change. Thai and expat alike.
What a joke! A very polarised, narrow-minded individual. Why should anyone listen to him? He didn’t give us any worthwhile opinions or suggestions. A lot of his comments show his ignorance.
The junta would dearly love to have full control of their side of the Sino-Burma border. If China were to collude, they would have to put up with many more refugees on its side of the border and China does not need more population as it stands. There is no doubt the ball is in China’s court.
The junta did have a better outcome along the Thai-Burma border, Thailand also did not do too badly after colluding with the junta, as they did not have to put up with looking after the refugees either. Thailand is happy with the gas pipeline illuminating its metropolitan.
The situation of Thailand and China cannot be compared, but it seems like the junta is testing the waters with China for a similar outcome.
Jean-philippe makes a very important point about the accuracy of data and the prevelance of armchair surveys. The difficulty in obtaining accurate quantitative data is somewhat underemphasised in many reports precisely because the conclusions to be drawn from the data take precedence over all but the most formulaic methodological considerations. Armchair surveying is an aspect of a series of cultural obstacles faced by the data collector. In many parts of Laos, and possibly also in Thailand, the chief is seen as the source of authoritative information in a village community where statements about amounts of anything are heavily influenced by preconceptions about what correct answers might be, by poor education, and by very different understandings of the purpose of counting production. It is a bit like asking people what their incomes are. If we have no way of observing and recording the money they recieve then we are dependent upon whatever they wish to disclose, and in most cases this happens to be much less than the reality. I’m sure attempts to amass data on rice yields are subject to similar cultural distortions.
‘Clearing the “alphabets” along the common border’ is easier said than done without Chinese collusion. Even so they’ll simply be investing in future conflict and long-lasting animosity between the nationalities and the two governments. China will need both the ethnics astride the border and whatever colour Burmese administration they have to deal with happy with the overall situation for genuine stability.
Whilst China depends on trade with the US, Burma depends on trade with China. So it’s clear who’s got a hold on whom. That’s why the generals desire as many trading partners as they can attract, most importantly the West and hence the call for lifting of the sanctions. But they can’t afford to release Suu Kyi (they believe it’s political suicide), so they try the China card. It’ll be interesting to see what Obama does next, but I won’t hold my breath.
to be fair.the pro. never get the questions about mr. sonthi lim and his PAD. who messing up this country.destroyed the government building, keep thousands of passagers in the 2 airports hostaged.and he never get to mention about the PAD .
I have some words with Mr Phil Thornton.
He praised Aung Naing about his cruel killings in Northern Burma.
I am the one detained and tortured badly.
I have already finished a novel style true story record.
I am trying to publish it now. Later, I will Sue them at ICJ.
All of the guys from northern Burma and HQ guys headed by Dr Naing Aung have to answer.
To all ‘hydropower sceptics’ I’d like to ask, where should Laos get it electricity from if it wasn’t from hydropower? Spend more national product on importing (non-green) electricity from Thailand or Vietnam? The country will develop with or without dams, so there will be a rising demand for electricity, and dams are the most economical green way of creating electricity. Laos will need a foreign currency earner when the gold mines run out, following China’s example is definitely the way to go I think.
Moe Aung: “Not an invasion but a proxy war of attrition…”
That would be the last thing that both the Chinese and the junta would have in mind to happen – a lose-lose situation. On the other side of the spectrum, a win-win situation would be clearing the “alphabets” along the common border so that the gas pipelines can flow free and fast. This of course would create a bigger lose-lose situation with the international community as well as internally. ASEAN and its allies will feel the threat of Burma driven too close into the arms and influence of China. Internally, the wedge would widen for the hopes of unification with all the various nationalities. The junta itself does not want to be held beholden to the Chinese, hence its courtship with Russia and its bid at ‘cosying up’ with the US. There is no doubt that the junta is in the clutches of China. We have yet to see what the Obama administration would come up with in terms of changes of policy to wards Burma.
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More on Thailand’s low agricultural productivity
As I live and work with small-scale rice farmers in northeastern Thailand (Esan), the topic of yield is commonly discussed. Though I’m young and somewhat inexperienced, I hope my observations can make a contribution to the discussion here.
Esan is known for it’s poor soil quality to begin with, but I believe farmers’ dependence on nitrogen fertilizers (as opposed to organic soil improvement) has been a major contributor to the very gradual increase seen on the chart. Farmers have increased their chemical fertilizer use exponentially since it was first introduced during the Green Revolution. While fertilizer use seems to have reached a plateau, with exhausted soils and inefficient water management in paddies (as well as many seasons with real drought conditions, like in 2007 and 2008), yields are bound to remain low or even decline.
Further, as Jean-Philippe mentioned, many farmers simply don’t put the time and energy into their rice crop in order to reap high yields. Many decide to invest in their children’s education or buy goods for use around the household (some more beneficial than others). Fertilizers are also very expensive to begin with. Many farmers are only in the village during the planting and harvesting seasons, working in other labor-intensive jobs during the rest of the year. Rice prices remain relatively low, so there’s little incentive to focus on rice when crops like cassava, sugarcane and rubber are frequently promoted and advertised as more lucrative.
That said, there is a small movement of organic farmers working to improve soil, preserve and develop indigenous seed varieties and support local food systems – the Alternative Agriculture Network – Esan. We have been using System of Rice Intensification (SRI) techniques with huge success to preserve and expand indigenous rice varieites. Many of these varieties yield as high or higher than Jasmine, and importantly, are suited to the ecological diversity in a given farmers’ paddies. Some of our members in Ubon Ratchatani province have also been able to achieve 1.5 to 2 ton per rai yields, by planting using SRI techniques and growing a “floating rice” variety, well-suited to flooding in the area.
For more information about our network, please visit aanesan.wordpress.com
A popular queen
There are times when pithy, insightful comments are simply not needed.
A Sino-Burmese border dance
It is a common and crass misconception that the Burmese generals are puppets of the Chinese. Burmese have never listened to anyone throughout history, and you ignore Burmese nationalism at your peril. They are however definitely engaging in a game of dangerous brinkmanship. That’s why they’d taken Sen. Webb’s visit as a kind of green light to launch a planned attack on the Kokang.
Obama doesn’t even have to lean on the Chinese to tame the generals if that’s what the Chinese want. But is it also what Obama wants, never mind Webb? China may withdraw its support for the junta at the UN, or simply choose to support the various armed ethnic groups and breathe life back into the communist insurgency like they did back in 1968. That’s if it reckons the disruption will be only short term, since unlike four decades ago there is now a lot at stake in the way of Chinese economic and strategic interests in Burma .
Now that’s a very long shot, but if push comes to shove, it might do just that, short of an invasion. An all out war between the two countries however is very unlikely. They agreed to co-exist peacefully shortly after the modern states came into being, and the last time hostilities broke out was in the 18th century when China saw Burmese expansionism as a threat.
Thailand’s royal disgrace
Now she is thrown into solitary and forced to wear an identifiable name tag that says she’s a nasty royal cursing lady. 18 year seemed like a long time, but now she is to be harassed in several ways. What a great bunch the royalists are. Given the hullabaloo over Stephen C.I.A. Young and the comments he made – Hitler, Stalin – and earlier comments on this blog about holocaust denial, maybe it is not too much to link to this: http://history1900s.about.com/od/holocaust/a/yellowstar.htm (it is yellow…). This treatment of the woman is truly disgraceful.
A Sino-Burmese border dance
China’s sway over Myanmar limited, says crisis group
http://www.reuters.com/article/asiaCrisis/idUSSP473247
” Beijing’s sway over Myanmar may be too weak to deter the junta from launching fresh offensives against armed ethnic groups on its volatile frontier with China, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a new report.
In a survey of the opaque relationship between China and its neighbour, the group found Beijing’s influence over the generals who rule Myanmar is more brittle than many human rights campaigners and Western diplomats assume…..”
Interesting.
Dams and prosperity in Laos
I am Laotian/Vietnamese and that first comments really do make me think about how racist Thais really are! I guess rumors around Vietnam and Laos are true about Thailand I wouldn’t mind letting both of our country splitting up Thailand into 3 section any time soon and for those ignorant Thais out there we can just turn them into our Slave or be killed. This is just a thought on how much Thailand are alone in SouthEast Asia with no true allies at most cheers!
A Sino-Burmese border dance
Bamar,
‘The situation of Thailand and China cannot be compared, but it seems like the junta is testing the waters with China for a similar outcome.’
Yes, I’m sure you are right about that. How China will respond to the situation will be more interesting and important than Obama’s predicted change in policy. The Kokang Incident as they call it seems ‘over’, but I don’t think the Chinese are amused.
Lost for words
As to the northeast, where I have spent the vast majority of my forty years in and out of Thailand, let’s not belittle the gulf between it and Bangkok. The authorities are still under orders not to let Isaan people bother those in Bangkok, and techniques used to keep these people roped in are much different than those in Bangkok.
Lost for words
14 September 2009
Ah,, another “Thaksin’s the problem” man, and a well-educated one to boot!
Suthichai Yoon is to be commended for his personal achievements and perseverance all along no matter what criticism I offer him. But this interview reminds me the time Suthichai interviewed American ambassador to Thailand, I believe it was Hecklinger, and the ambassador gave a rather long analysis of problems Thailand was having and how the US was reacting toward them. At the end of the speech, Suthichai asked Hecklinger, “Well,…how do you expect me to explain this to the Thai people?”
And the ease in which Hecklinger replied was legion: “The same way I just explained it to you.”
Coming back to the Young interview then, that point going past both Young and Yoon’s heads was the point about things here being much more than just a matter of Thaksin having gotten away with too much. The core apparatus is rotten from within, and while I personally believe Thaksin should get what is coming to him, interviews like this that gloss over major murdering by former leaders and their corruption by somehow saying they all either left or never got off the hook is a lie. Many of them were given royal pardons across the board, particularly in the aftermath of was it 1973 when both victim and state perpetrator were forgiven as if blood had never been shed.
We don’t need pseudo-academics that are really apologists for maintaining the status quo to be interviewed. We need change. Thai and expat alike.
Lost for words
What a joke! A very polarised, narrow-minded individual. Why should anyone listen to him? He didn’t give us any worthwhile opinions or suggestions. A lot of his comments show his ignorance.
A Sino-Burmese border dance
Moe Aung,
The junta would dearly love to have full control of their side of the Sino-Burma border. If China were to collude, they would have to put up with many more refugees on its side of the border and China does not need more population as it stands. There is no doubt the ball is in China’s court.
The junta did have a better outcome along the Thai-Burma border, Thailand also did not do too badly after colluding with the junta, as they did not have to put up with looking after the refugees either. Thailand is happy with the gas pipeline illuminating its metropolitan.
The situation of Thailand and China cannot be compared, but it seems like the junta is testing the waters with China for a similar outcome.
More on Thailand’s low agricultural productivity
Jean-philippe makes a very important point about the accuracy of data and the prevelance of armchair surveys. The difficulty in obtaining accurate quantitative data is somewhat underemphasised in many reports precisely because the conclusions to be drawn from the data take precedence over all but the most formulaic methodological considerations. Armchair surveying is an aspect of a series of cultural obstacles faced by the data collector. In many parts of Laos, and possibly also in Thailand, the chief is seen as the source of authoritative information in a village community where statements about amounts of anything are heavily influenced by preconceptions about what correct answers might be, by poor education, and by very different understandings of the purpose of counting production. It is a bit like asking people what their incomes are. If we have no way of observing and recording the money they recieve then we are dependent upon whatever they wish to disclose, and in most cases this happens to be much less than the reality. I’m sure attempts to amass data on rice yields are subject to similar cultural distortions.
A Sino-Burmese border dance
Bamar ,
‘Clearing the “alphabets” along the common border’ is easier said than done without Chinese collusion. Even so they’ll simply be investing in future conflict and long-lasting animosity between the nationalities and the two governments. China will need both the ethnics astride the border and whatever colour Burmese administration they have to deal with happy with the overall situation for genuine stability.
Whilst China depends on trade with the US, Burma depends on trade with China. So it’s clear who’s got a hold on whom. That’s why the generals desire as many trading partners as they can attract, most importantly the West and hence the call for lifting of the sanctions. But they can’t afford to release Suu Kyi (they believe it’s political suicide), so they try the China card. It’ll be interesting to see what Obama does next, but I won’t hold my breath.
$ufficiency economy
to be fair.the pro. never get the questions about mr. sonthi lim and his PAD. who messing up this country.destroyed the government building, keep thousands of passagers in the 2 airports hostaged.and he never get to mention about the PAD .
On the front line of globalisation
thank you anyway… i think im suppossed to ask for permission if i can…im not quite sure…thanks again =]
On the front line of globalisation
Brittany: of course you can! It’s not our image, we got it from somewhere else.
On the front line of globalisation
can i use this for a powerpoint presentation for a high school sose oral on globalisation please =]
Phil Thornton on General Bo Mya
I have some words with Mr Phil Thornton.
He praised Aung Naing about his cruel killings in Northern Burma.
I am the one detained and tortured badly.
I have already finished a novel style true story record.
I am trying to publish it now. Later, I will Sue them at ICJ.
All of the guys from northern Burma and HQ guys headed by Dr Naing Aung have to answer.
Mega projects and Lao transitions
To all ‘hydropower sceptics’ I’d like to ask, where should Laos get it electricity from if it wasn’t from hydropower? Spend more national product on importing (non-green) electricity from Thailand or Vietnam? The country will develop with or without dams, so there will be a rising demand for electricity, and dams are the most economical green way of creating electricity. Laos will need a foreign currency earner when the gold mines run out, following China’s example is definitely the way to go I think.
A Sino-Burmese border dance
Moe Aung: “Not an invasion but a proxy war of attrition…”
That would be the last thing that both the Chinese and the junta would have in mind to happen – a lose-lose situation. On the other side of the spectrum, a win-win situation would be clearing the “alphabets” along the common border so that the gas pipelines can flow free and fast. This of course would create a bigger lose-lose situation with the international community as well as internally. ASEAN and its allies will feel the threat of Burma driven too close into the arms and influence of China. Internally, the wedge would widen for the hopes of unification with all the various nationalities. The junta itself does not want to be held beholden to the Chinese, hence its courtship with Russia and its bid at ‘cosying up’ with the US. There is no doubt that the junta is in the clutches of China. We have yet to see what the Obama administration would come up with in terms of changes of policy to wards Burma.