NAKHON PHANOM - Frog farming has generated a handsome income for residents of a village in Renu Nakhon district during recent dry seasons.
Sales of live and frozen frogs and tadpoles have brought in 10 million to 20 million baht a year to their community.
When the dry season begins, a group of farmers at Ban Nong Tae in tambon Nakham turn their harvested paddy fields into frog farms. They sell tadpoles, or luk huak in Isan dialect, to local markets for 150 to 200 baht a kilogramme.
They have recently increased the value of their amphibian crop by gutting and cleaning, packaging and freezing them for export. The frozen frog meat sells for 200 baht a kilogramme.
For the last 20 years frog farming has generated 10 million to 20 million baht a year for Nong Tae villagers, according to Sonthaya Faramee, 49, secretary of the provincial Phaeng Yai community enterprise.
Once the rice harvest is over, the farmers turn their fields into ponds about 30 centimetres deep. They stock the ponds with year-old frogs and wait for them to breed. About 300 pairs of frogs are released into each pond. (continues below)
Tadpoles, or luk huak, are sold at 150 to 200 baht a kilo. (Photo: Pattanapong Sripiachai)
The breeding period takes only one night and the frogs are then removed from the pool. Within a few hours, the spawn can be seen floating on the surface of the water.
Four days later, the eggs hatch. The tadpoles are nurtured on catfish food. Within 20 to 25 days they are ready for sale.
Mr Sonthaya said the community enterprise has about 70 member households raising frogs to breed tadpoles for sale.
The Phaeng Yai community enterprise helps frog farmers process tadpoles for sale and helps market them. Frozen products are also sold abroad and can be kept for a longer period. Frozen tadpoles sell for 250 baht a kilogramme, and live tadpoles 100 baht, Mr Sonthaya said.
Many orders are from customers in Australia and Singapore, he said.
Frogs about 3 months old are also processed and frozen. They fetch 250 baht a kilogramme, he said.
As for cooking them, try tadpole curry with herbs, or kaeng om, or curry with pickled bamboo shoots, kaeng normai dong.
In food shops, these dishes sell for 200 to 300 baht a bowl.
Sonthaya Faramee, 49, secretary to the Phaeng Yai community enterprise in Nakhon Phanom, shows frozen frogs and frozen tadpoles produced by farmers in Renu Nakhon district of the northeastern province. (Photo: Pattanapong Sripiachai)