Overview of the "Royal New Agricultural Theory" in Thailand

In Thailand, the negative impact of a global rice prices decrease and the climat issue regarding the long drought period followed by heavy floods had disastrous consequences in 2016 for Thai farmers. Particularly for those who work in the rain-based farming area where there is higher risk of low rice production and insufficient income.  

The royal initiative for the New Agricultural Theory for small area farming set the goals to better allocated the use of land and to integrate the water reservoir within the land. It allowed the farmers to be able to earn enough income all year long through the conduct of the integrated farming system by diversifying their activities and minimizing costs while getting higher overall production. 

The practical use aims to divide the farming land into 4 parts as follows:

• The first 30% is used to create a household water resource through the building of a reservoir or digging a pond to hold rain water in the rainy season while irrigate the crops during drought season as well as to do some fisheries for further income.
• The second 30% of the land is devoted to crop farming, including rice, sugar cane, Napier grass (a feeding grass for animal widely used for elephants). 
• The third 30% is divided to grow horticultural and arboricultural crops for household consumption and selling such as fruits, vegetables and herbs
• The last remaining 10 % of the land is used for building a house, transportation paths and other tenements for growing household vegetables and raising other livestock.

The overview of such farming management showed an incredible increase in the income generated by farmers in the first pilot farms in Kanchanaburi province.

The Late King Bhumibol once said that “…I can assure you that the Sufficiency Economy Initiative and the New Agricultural Theory will make Thailand prosper, but we need to be diligent and patient… (Bureau of the Royal Household, 1999). 

In remembrance of his Majesty the King