Future of Cambodian farmer

Provincial living: homesteading, farming, gardening, self-efficiency and animal husbandry.
diesel
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Future of Cambodian farmer

Post by diesel »

U live now a long period in the province. 90% here try to make money as a farmer. Most people here grow potatoes, sugarcane and rice. Takeo province is a good place to grow rice, most farmers can harvest 3 times a year. So people with 1 hectare land earns enough to live 1 year. Farmers with 5 hectares has a good life.
But there are also many people that don't have riceland, so they take care pigs. Chickens and cows. Most people invest in cows ( calve 500-600$, little bit lder 1500$).
But I'm wondering about the future of this people, Cambodia already import porkmeat of Vietnam, so the prices drops fast in the provinces. The sister of my gf don't sell her pigs now, because she loose money on it.

Many people invest in cows, for years cows are a stable factor. But if Cambodia goes import the cows from the big farms in Vietnam, than the prices shall drop enormous here in Cambodia, in Cambodia the price is high but low quality. So that means that a lot people loose alot money, and there way to earn their money.

Somebody here have thoughts about this?
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Duncan
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Re: Future of Cambodian farmer

Post by Duncan »

To be a farmer, is bloody hard work and you never have control of the price of the product you produce. Small size farming is more of a lifestyle or being self-sufficient, you will only make money in farming if you are a BIG time farmer, and to do that you need lots of money, but not necessary lots of land, to start with.
Even a big time farmer will have to be twice as big in 10 years time to produce his product in a price efficient way.
Cambodia,,,, Don't fall in love with her.
Like the spoilt child she is, she will not be happy till she destroys herself from within and breaks your heart.
diesel
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Re: Future of Cambodian farmer

Post by diesel »

So what's your thoughts about all the poor villagers?? The prices go down of their products. Here we are lucky that's its perfect land to make rice, most people have little bit riceland, but by far not enough to live, so they invest their money in a cow. I'm wondering what happens with alll these people if the riceprice and cattle prices goes down.
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phuketrichard
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Re: Future of Cambodian farmer

Post by phuketrichard »

the biggest problem is
there is Nothing else they are qualified for but farming

a bad season, ( to much, to little rain) cows/pigs die and they are forced to borrow money at crazy rates and from that day on are in debt which they can never hope to repay.

Gf's family grows rice (on their land and our land ) 2 harvests/year, raises chickens, Pigs & 3 cows.
its enough, BUT putting the youngest kids thru school is tough ( we help with one, an one sister helps with another) BUT they know they must do it or condemn them to the same life

Its the same for Thailand, Myanmar and Laos
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Duncan
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Re: Future of Cambodian farmer

Post by Duncan »

diesel wrote:So what's your thoughts about all the poor villagers?? The prices go down of their products. Here we are lucky that's its perfect land to make rice, most people have little bit riceland, but by far not enough to live, so they invest their money in a cow.

I'm wondering what happens with alll these people if the riceprice and cattle prices goes down.



Before the price of rice and cattle goes down,,, the costs of living will go up, and they will need twice as much land and ten times as many cattle to keep up to todays standed of living.

Been there, done that. In the late 1950's my mother milked between 8 to 10 cows for a income. !960 to 1965 she needed 20 to 25 cows and 1965 I needed 50 cows.. Today you would need 500 or more.
Cambodia,,,, Don't fall in love with her.
Like the spoilt child she is, she will not be happy till she destroys herself from within and breaks your heart.
Ed Hammer
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Re: Future of Cambodian farmer

Post by Ed Hammer »

diesel wrote: most farmers can harvest 3 times a year.
when you start with this premise it is difficult to read on...
General Mackevili: I just don't want you littering our forum with your drivel.
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Re: Future of Cambodian farmer

Post by Ed Hammer »

but as for their future, I think it is bright
General Mackevili: I just don't want you littering our forum with your drivel.
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frank lee bent
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Re: Future of Cambodian farmer

Post by frank lee bent »

"""""""""diesel wrote:
most farmers can harvest 3 times a year.


when you start with this premise it is difficult to read on...""""""""""
that is quite true in Takeo, water chenla. quite amazing piece of country- super fertile water world.
not many places get 3 harvests in the world, but parts of Takeo do to my certain knowledge.


by potatoes you mean cassava i assume.
if they were growing potatoes like those in Mondulkiri do, they will be prosperous. but you can't grow real spuds down here very efficiently. like their cousins tomatoes, they don't like it too hot.
as all business, you have to supply those things in short supply and high demand.
in Cambodia, that is the temperate climate food- that currently mostly comes from Dalat.
Tropical highlands are good places to produce vegetables, beef, dairy, and tree crops like avocado.

for now, Cambodia has such an area- Mondulkiri, and small blocks of land there with reasonable access can be had hard title from $2.5 / ha up. It is re volcanic and decomposed granite soil, and mostly has water.

If you want to talk about the peasant farmers down here in the lowlands having success or the opposite- you have to decouple the farming enterprise from the cash/commodity market and keep it as a separate business unit used to feed the family.

undoubtedly, poultry with proper management and vaccination still affords great potential for the small farmer under independent small holder management regimes.
FAO calls poultry the last great frontier of protein production. aquaculture is saturated. this statement is borne out by the changed management practises in africa over the past 2 decades with many millionaires arising as change management evangelists in a small scale industry.

obviously- if the farmers just keep doing what they are doing they are fucked in any country- clever growers ( like the dutch) manage to make a tidy living on very small lands producing food in a hungry world.
more than 30% of food here comes from vn and th so you tell me there is no farming potential here?
Ed Hammer
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Re: Future of Cambodian farmer

Post by Ed Hammer »

frank lee bent wrote:
obviously- if the farmers just keep doing what they are doing they are fucked in any country- clever growers ( like the dutch) manage to make a tidy living on very small lands producing food in a hungry world.
more than 30% of food here comes from vn and th so you tell me there is no farming potential here?
No , I disagree, Cambodian farms mainly have systems that are low impact,that just needs some tweaking. Models in other part of the world may be valid,but local knowledge is key.Many farms do things on instinct here not knowing why in scientific terms but is works.The gaps need to be filled. The main restriction on growth is cash , but that might not be a bad thing.....The key is how to adapt proven technology using free or cheap local resources It,s all good in Cambodia
General Mackevili: I just don't want you littering our forum with your drivel.
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Duncan
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Re: Future of Cambodian farmer

Post by Duncan »

Ed Hammer wrote:
frank lee bent wrote:
obviously- if the farmers just keep doing what they are doing they are fucked in any country- clever growers ( like the dutch) manage to make a tidy living on very small lands producing food in a hungry world.
more than 30% of food here comes from vn and th so you tell me there is no farming potential here?
No , I disagree, Cambodian farms mainly have systems that are low impact,that just needs some tweaking. Models in other part of the world may be valid,but local knowledge is key.Many farms do things on instinct here not knowing why in scientific terms but is works.The gaps need to be filled. The main restriction on growth is cash , but that might not be a bad thing.....The key is how to adapt proven technology using free or cheap local resources It,s all good in Cambodia
Getting back to what I said,, If the kids school fees go up $100 in a year, where does that extra money come from ?????? Does the farmer put up the price of the rice that he has grown. No , not possible,, he must have more land and grow more, or be more efficient in farming. Something Cambodians cannot do.
Cambodia,,,, Don't fall in love with her.
Like the spoilt child she is, she will not be happy till she destroys herself from within and breaks your heart.
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