Thai melon grower makes per 60 sq.m. greenhouse

Panu Taweepon, 37, is a happy bachelor who grows melons in his small farm in Surat Thani province some 500 kilometers south of Bangkok. His NF Farm (New Farmer Farm) is just 3,200 square meters but his income from this small parcel could be much more than a rice farmer cultivating several hectares can make.

In his small farm, he has several greenhouses each measuring just about 60 square meters. Do you know how much he makes from each greenhouse every growing cycle of about three months? From one greenhouse he harvests 500 marketable fruits, each weighing at least two kilos. That means he can harvest one ton from that little space. At 100 baht per kilo, that’s worth 100,000 baht or about R161,000 in Philippine money. In one year, he can grow three crops so that’s a gross of nearly half million Philippine pesos just from one greenhouse.

We met Panu at the Sima-Asean R161,000 R161 have chosen to specialize in.

The oft-repeated saying that “Small Is Beautiful” is once again demonstrated by Panu Taweepon. A small farm is easier to manage, especially if you have modern facilities like drip irrigation, greenhouses for year-round production, techniques of balanced fertilization either with organic or non-organic fertilizers.

There are many other interesting stories that we gathered from the SIMAAsean Agribusiness Trade Show. Keep posted for our succeeding reports.

MELONS GROWN INSIDE A GREENHOUSE – Photo shows the beautiful melon fruits inside the greenhouse of Panu Taweepon in Surat Thani province some 500 kilometers south of Bangkok. Panu’s little farm is just two rai (one rai is 40m x 40m) but he can make an...

MELONS AT THE TRADE SHOW – Photo shows some of the melon fruits that Panu Taweepon brought to the trade show in Bangkok for visitors to see and buy. One kilo sells for 100 baht which is equivalent to about in Philippine money. Panu’s melons are sold...

SHOWCASE AT THE TRADE SHOW – Photo shows Panu Taweepopn (right) and Zac B. Sarian inside the greenhouse that Panu showcased at the Sima-Asean Agribusiness trade show. Panu operates his little melon farm of 3,200 square meters by himself with occasional...