Why isn't Thai farmers growing industrial hemp...

[DuiDui49]

..lack of water is one of many reasons why Thai farmers should try to grow something else then rice,me think.If you're intrested why,please read on.

If you haven't heard, industrial hemp could be one of our most versatile crops.

The National Hemp Association points out some very exciting facts that many people tend to overlook:

Hemp can grow nearly anywhere in the world, in many types of soil — even in short growing seasons or in dry regions.
Hemp can grow without pesticides. The crop also kills some weeds, purifies soil, and is suitable for rotation use due to its short harvest cycle (120 days).
Hemp is also a high-yield crop. One acre of hemp produces twice as much oil as one acre of peanuts, and nearly four times as much fiber pulp (for paper) as an acre of trees.
Hemp is the earth’s most persecuted commodity
Hemp is a sustainable and renewable resource affecting almost every major industry. However, due to decades of propaganda and misinformation, hemp has not received the attention it deserves.

“For 5,900 years, hemp was earth’s most important commodity, and in the last 50 years, it’s been earth's most persecuted commodity," said Paul Benhaim, founder of one of the largest Hemp CBD manufacturers – Elixinol.

Fortunately, lawmakers are optimistic that the 2018 Farm Bill – which would federally legalize hemp cultivation in the U.S. – will make it through Congress very soon.

As many as 25,000 different things can be made out of hemp
The world's resources are limited, and dwindling every day that goes by. We all have a responsibility to better utilize the versatile plant that is hemp and let it help heal the world.

One way we can do this is by replacing products made out of paper or petrochemicals with ones made of hemp.

If you’re hip to this idea, here are 12 things (out of an estimated 25,000!) that should absolutely be made from hemp for the sake of our world.

#1.) Diapers

It is estimated as many as 27.4 billion (that's with a B) disposable diapers are consumed per year in the U.S. alone.

All of those diapers end up in landfills, where they take a very long time to decompose since many of them are made out of petrochemicals.

Hemp can provide some great alternatives here: cloth diapers can be made from hemp, and don't end up in landfills at nearly the same rate as disposable diapers, and disposable diapers can be made from hemp too.

#2.) Tampons

I am obviously a male, so I will tread lightly on this subject, as I don't have any personal experience with tampons.

However, the math behind tampon usage highlights the need to make more tampons out of hemp versus other things.

Estimates are that the average woman will go through 9,600 tampons in her lifetime. Multiply that by how many women there are on the planet, consider that many of those products end up in landfills, and it becomes obvious that making tampons out of hemp versus other things that decompose much slower is a good idea.

#3.) Gloves


Hemp plastic doesn’t pose the health and safety risks associated with other plastic materials.
My friend Chris from Oregon Hemp Works pointed this one out to me. Over 100 billion petrochemical gloves are thrown away each year.

Think about it – mechanics, doctors, nurses, tattoo artists, janitors, etc. – all use disposable gloves as part of their jobs. Imagine if all of those gloves were made out of hemp!

#4.) Fuel

Hemp is the most cost-efficient and environmentally friendly fuel crop out there.

Hemp can produce two different types of fuel – hemp biodiesel and hemp ethanol/methanol.

Here's the big question: Could this also help address the global warming challenge?

#5.) Plastic bottles and bags

Americans throw away 35 billion plastic bottles every year. A lot of those end up in landfills, but a lot of them also end up in oceans. The same goes for plastic bags.

If you want to feel alarmed, just Google 'Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.' All of that plastic is going to take a very long time to decompose, 500 to 1,000 years according to EcoWatch.

If those products were made from hemp, they would have likely already decomposed by now. It's never too late to change.

#6.) Houses

In the U.S. many houses are built using wood. Why not save those trees and make the homes out of hemp?

Homes that are built using hempcrete (building material made from hemp) are more durable than houses built out of wood, and actually have a negative carbon footprint, helping to better regulate indoor temperatures.

Houses built out of hempcrete are also more fire and mold resistant.

#7.) Electronic device casings

Look around you; chances are you're somewhat surrounded by electronic devices with casings made out of plastic made from petrochemicals.

Your laptop, tablet, phone, TV, DVD player, etc., all of it is likely made out of petrochemicals.

Think about how many of those types of items you have thrown away which are now sitting in a landfill. It's a problem that grows daily.

#8.) Batteries

I can't hammer home this point enough, as it's estimated that as much as 180,000 tons worth of batteries is thrown away each year.

Batteries can be particularly toxic. The reduction in environmental impact alone makes producing batteries out of hemp worth it.

Plus, batteries made from hemp can be made at 1/1000 the cost of our current energy systems and will outperform current energy storing technologies.

#9.) All clothing


You'll be surprised at the growing number of hemp clothing options.
Clothing made from hemp is stronger than clothing made from other fibers.

It also does not pollute our water supplies with plastic particles when washing, unlike many other fabrics.

But, here’s something interesting to know: fiber made from hemp can actually stop the spread of some bacteria. This isn’t true for cotton.

#10.) Furniture

Anything wood can do hemp can usually do too. A lot of wood goes into making furniture.

People throw away furniture more often than they realize. Couches, chairs, etc. can all be made, top to bottom, out of hemp.

#11.) Makeup and makeup containers

In not so shocking news, I do not wear makeup and I have never purchased a makeup product. However, there are many, many people out there who do.

The makeup itself is not as big an environmental problem, as is the packaging, which is oftentimes excessive, and once opened, it is thrown away.

The packaging is almost always made out of wood paper products (the box) and petrochemicals (the plastic holder). All of it can be made from hemp to help reduce the impact on our environment.

Plus, my wife tells me, hemp makeup is quality!

#12.) All paper products


Naturally acid-free hemp paper does not yellow as quickly as tree pulp-based paper.
Some of the most common things filling up landfills are paper products made from wood: paper towels, toilet paper, bags, newspapers, etc.

All of them could be made from hemp, and while wood paper products decompose faster than plastic, they still take a lot of wood to make, which takes a long time to grow.

Hemp grows much, much faster. And, hemp paper is stronger than wood-based paper and can withstand more folding and wear and tear.

Hemp is the strongest natural fiber of any source available.

Source:https://www.green-flower.com/articles/2 ... -from-hemp

[pf-flyer]

Why Thai farmers are not growing hemp ?
Most of the Thai farmers that live out in our village grow rice for their main crop because you can eat rice. A lot of Thai’s that live in our village are reluctant to sell their rice because they were taught by their parents that from times in the past when things got ruff and nobody had any money to buy anything to eat. If you have rice you can always put something together so that you have something to eat. My wife tells me a lot of times when she was growing up when she would go out into the fields with her brother and they would trap and capture frogs, crabs, and birds or whatever they could find and catch. They would take whatever they caught and take it back to the house and if they had rice then they could cook something up for the family to eat. There are farmers sublimating their income by growing sugar cane, rubber and mutsablung ( Spelling ).

[Lone Star]

Why Thai farmers are not growing hemp ?
Most of the Thai farmers that live out in our village grow rice for their main crop because you can eat rice. A lot of Thai’s that live in our village are reluctant to sell their rice because they were taught by their parents that from times in the past when things got ruff and nobody had any money to buy anything to eat. If you have rice you can always put something together so that you have something to eat. My wife tells me a lot of times when she was growing up when she would go out into the fields with her brother and they would trap and capture frogs, crabs, and birds or whatever they could find and catch. They would take whatever they caught and take it back to the house and if they had rice then they could cook something up for the family to eat. There are farmers sublimating their income by growing sugar cane, rubber and mutsablung ( Spelling ).

BINGO!

My wife's family farm focuses on items that they can consume if times ever get tough. The family seems very comfortable in the fact that their farm makes them self-sustainable.

[DuiDui49]

Well thanks guys for your replyes,but i think it's more to my question.

We all feel that something weather wise is going on,well except for Mr.T ;-)I'm taking more in terms of how to have a avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance..Right now i don't see that amongs farmers here,i might be wrong but please correct me if i am..I think that what needs to be done is to find way to BOTH have food on the tabel and to get some money for all the hard work Thai farmers have to put in,not to mention the climat change..look at Surin for ex..

Not to mention all the pesticides they have to use,even those who are banned since many years back in other countrys.Hemp could be something to start looking in to me think..Make it a small village project for let say 5 year,evaluate..I don't say no to rice farming but i honestly think is't time for a change for the better for the Thai farmers,don't you?
Just read that 40% of all vegetables were contaminated whith to high levels of pesticides here in Thailand,that doesn't help farmers here to sell their products..I think this Goverment need to try VERY hard to "reeducate"farmers here so they don't deplete the natural resorces to the point to no return..more or less.

And when i was a kid growing up in an old fashion style farm,no tractor we used a horse..5-6 milkcows..chickens..2-3 heifers..all the latrine was used from the household to minimize the use of fertilizers/pesticides..this was 45-50 years ago..You tell me what you think about were farmers are/stands now,Thai farmers that is.
I have to say i'm very very proud of my upbringing,healthy,hard work after school and on weekends/summer breaks.Eating healthy food,getting lots of exercise..no fast food AT ALL,no mobile phones..hard work like Thai farmers do now..But i think hemp would be a great add-on to the rice farming.

Thank you for reading...

[pf-flyer]

You tell me what you think about were farmers are/stands now,Thai farmers that is.

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I am not encouraged for the future of the local Thai farmers.
The reason is that the current generation of young Thai people are not interested in farming. They are more interested in traveling to another country where that can get a job so that they can send money back to home in order to save up enough money to buy a new truck or car and if they are fortunate enough they will be able to build a modest house. There are a lot of grandparents in the rural villages raising their grandchildren while the grandchildren's parents are away working in another country. It is a very common theme in the villages.
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I can relate to your comments of when you were growing up. I am part of the Baby Boomer Generation. My father died in a drowning accident when I was 9 years old. When I was 12 years old I started working on a nearby 300-acre dairy farm. I walked thru the fields to go to work. I helped with the milking of 36 Holstein dairy cattle twice a day at 5:00 AM and 5:00PM every day before and after school. I worked all day Saturdays cleaning out the heffer and calf pens and anything else that needed to be done. During the summers I worked all day every day except for Sunday. On Sunday we just did the milking and I had the rest of the day off. I learned very early to appreciate the value of a dollar and what it took to earn that dollar. I used the money that I earned to help my mother with groceries and bills and to buy my school clothes and shoes. I worked like that until I was 19, that is when I went into the Military.

[Lone Star]

.

pf-flyer, that's a helluva story. I wasn't as fortunate, but I grew up in a middle class family that had more than some and a lot less than others. We always managed to have necessities of life. We weren't wealthy, but I learned the value of sacrifice and hard work. Thanks for sharing your story.

The reason is that the current generation of young Thai people are not interested in farming. They are more interested in traveling to another country where that can get a job so that they can send money back to home in order to save up enough money to buy a new truck or car and if they are fortunate enough they will be able to build a modest house. There are a lot of grandparents in the rural villages raising their grandchildren while the grandchildren's parents are away working in another country. It is a very common theme in the villages.

This migration pattern and socioeconomic transformation is common in almost every country and society that is moving from predominantly agriculture to manufacturing, industrialization and services. It's not anything new.

Societies have a way of balancing out their private sector labor force through free markets and supply & demand.

I can recall a big push that was made here when land was being prepared for rubber trees because farmers saw an opportunity to make profits in that area. The same will hold true with other crop opportunities.

As long as people have an incentive to gain profits from hard work and perceive value in learning new techniques, they will continue to root out those endeavors that bring profits. And why do profits happen? Because someone is providing a product or service that people want and are willing to voluntarily trade cash assets to have it. A company or farm is only profitable if they are producing what people want at a price that consumers are willing to pay.

[glalt]

Running a dairy farm is a 24/7 job. My Ohio neighbors had a fairly large dairy farm. It worked out well for them because there were three brothers so that all three got needed time off. They all three had the skills to run the farm but it would have been way too much for one guy.

Over the years they automated a lot of the work but they still needed to keep a close eye on things. Those big ceramic silos and feed systems are VERY expensive. Veterinarians don't work cheap either.

[glalt]

As for growing hemp, only certain provinces have that option. If your province is approved, that is just the start of the obstacles. Commercial growers need special permits and have to jump through a lot of government hoops as well as having specialized equipment. Maybe a good crop but not for the small farmers.

[parrot]

The Thai government usually subsidizes rice farmers......often pays them when there are natural disasters (drought, flood)......along with government agencies focused on rice farming. As pf says, if a rural family has rice, they can probably put together a meal.....a papaya from the back yard, a fish or two, some leaves from a variety of jungle growth, some crabs from the fields, lizards, etc etc.
Like a lot of countries, Thailand is becoming an aged society. Smaller families, longer life spans. On top of that, Vietnam is closing ranks with Thailand in exporting high quality rice. In the US, Vietnam rice is cheaper and I doubt most rice eaters can tell the difference.
Moons ago, I could buy hemp seeds in the bird store near Bangkok Hospital......my parrots loved them. Then.....the government put the kabahsh on selling them. I'm not sure if they were imported from neighboring countries, but they're no longer available.

[glalt]

I don't question my wife about her farming techniques. This year she is back planting a lot of rice rather than sugar cane. She keeps accumulating more farm land so she must have some confidence doing what she is doing.