A BRIEF HISTORY OF RICE FARMING

If you are fascinated with Thailand’s agriculture and rice trade, make sure to visit the first Chao Phraya Riverside Rice Farm “LHONG Rice Farm 2018” which opens to the public from tomorrow to Aug 19 at “LHONG 1919: Thai-Chinese Historical Art Heritage Pier”. Free to the public, visitors get to experience Thai wisdom at its best, coupled with the know-how involved in rice production from upstream to the end of the river and eventually to the consumers’ dinner table. Demonstrations on traditional rice cooking tools and methods will also be available. According to Rujiraporn Wanglee, LHONG 1919’s project director, the highlight of the event is the collaboration with farmers from Suphan Buri who will be putting together a functioning rice field at LHONG 1919, which will be called LHONG Rice Farm. All growth stages of rice planting will be showcased, ranging from seedlings and tillering to maturing and grain yielding. Rice planting demonstration workshops will be held simultaneously. Joining the Suphan Buri rice farmers will be their counterparts from Roi Et, who will be conducting a rice-cooking workshop featuring tung gula rong hai jasmine rice aka the world’s most premium quality jasmine rice. Also on display will be varieties of Jasmine rice products, some of which will come in the form of rice cookies, rice tea and even rice flour. Wide varieties of rice from each region of the country and their byproducts will also be highlighted. The project director of LHONG 1919 talked about the history of the old port, telling us that the venue once served as the storefront for the Wanglee business’s rice trade. The desire of her family to organise this event stemmed from the perceived need to see city folk enjoy educational activities that would help broaden their horizons. “There are a lot of us who have yet to observe how real-life rice farming is undertaken,” remarked Rujiraporn. “Our desire is to see urbanites have the opportunity to experience and learn the importance of rice farming from past to present; and how rice is domestically consumed and exported abroad. “Each workshop on traditional agriculture and rice products is designed to not just educate but entertain.” For the past 200 years, in which maritime transport ruled over all trades, land located on this particular side of the Chao Phraya Riverside has been known as hua chuan lang or the steamboat port, Rujiraporn said. It was owned by an old family of rice merchants that thrived during the golden age of rice trading, which for years made it one of the prominent rice warehouses in the area.

For more information, call 081-842-8363 or visit Facebook: LHONG1919.