Their Majesties the King and Queen presided over the Royal Ploughing Ceremony at Sanam Luang on Thursday and the ceremony led to the prediction of abundant food and sufficient water for this farming year.
In the ceremony to mark the beginning of the rice cultivation season, Their Majesties were accompanied by Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha.
Anant Suwanarat, permanent secretary for agriculture and cooperatives, was the Lord of the Plough joined by his officials, as consecrated women who carried gold and silver baskets filled with royally sponsored rice seeds that the Lord of the Plough had sowed.
In the ceremony, the Lord of the Plough picked a piece of folded cloth with a length of five kueb (about 125 centimetres) referring to the prediction of sufficient water and abundant rice yields and food.
Sacred oxen chose to eat rice and grass and drank water, reflecting that food would be abundant and there would be sufficient water. Their menu traditionally consists of paddy or corn, water, grass, mung beans, sesame seeds and liquor and the predictions on the next crop are based on what they choose.
On the same occasion, His Majesty the King presented awards to outstanding farmers and excellent agricultural institutions and cooperatives.
People from provinces including farmers gathered at the venue of the Royal Ploughing Ceremony as usual to welcome the royals and collect rice seeds sowed there for good luck.
