Organic joy
Getting back to basics has proved profitable
for those taking up organic farming methods
Story by CHOMPOO TRAKULLERTSATHIEN
Pictures by SOMKID CHAIJITVANIT
Getting back to basics has proved profitable for those taking up organic farming methods. Villagers in Ban Mae Ra Wan in Tak province thresh their rice crop the traditional way by pounding the stalks over bamboo rods. The harvest comes from an organic rice field in their village. |
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Know these words and phrases
contain
to keep your feelings under control
bumper
unusually large
loan shark
a person who lends money at very high rates of interest
flora and fauna
plants and animals, respectively
residue
a small amount of something that remains at the end of a process
self-reliant
able to do or decide things by yourself, rather than depending on other people for help
moonshine
whisky or other strong alcoholic drinks made and sold illegally
opt for
to choose
laborious
taking a lot of time and effort
dung
solid waste from animals, especially large ones
nutritious
containing substances which help something to grow
till
to prepare and use land for growing crops
hostile
very unfriendly; able to cause damage
bombarded
hit continuously in a strong and aggressive way
fragile
easily broken or damaged
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Strolling in his rice paddy in Ban Mae Ra Wan in Tak province, Pradit Srivichai can't contain his joy as he gazes out across a sea of ripening, golden rice stalks waving in the cool breeze. This year his fields have yielded a bumper crop, proof that his experiment in organic agriculture has been a success.
The paddy has not only been more productive this year, but the rice Pradit has grown is worth much more than before. And since he has switched to organic farming methods, for the first time in his life he won't have to borrow money from village loan sharks to pay for expensive chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
Organic fertiliser, made from agricultural waste, and home-made pesticides, are environmentally-friendly, inexpensive and keep his rice fields productive year-round. Demand for his organic rice is high.
“I'm so glad with the result. My fields are fertile and the crop healthy. Most importantly, I have done no harm to the natural environment or the flora and fauna living in the field. This proves that through the practise of organic agriculture we can live in harmony with Mother Nature in a more sustainable way,” said Pradit, 57, the headman of Ban Mae Ra Wan.
It is feared that Thai rice may lose its favoured status on the world market in the near future due to an increased public awareness of the potential dangers posed by pesticide residues.
Competition for foreign markets may increase as Thailand's neighbours, Burma and Vietnam, promote a culture of organic farming in which synthetic fertilisers and chemical pesticides are totally forbidden.
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) recently launched an organic rice-growing campaign on a total 295 rai scattered across five provinces. Sixty-five farm households are taking part in the green crusade.
“Farmers come from communities near and far to learn more about how an organic farm works. Villagers who pass the training course share what they have learned, providing those who visit them with useful information. We will supervise these villages until they are self-reliant. After that, we will move on to other communities,” said Chainarong Chaovavanich, assistant governor of Egat’s Hydro Plant Management and Finance Division Development Group.
“We're all happy to return to our ancestors' cultivation techniques. In fact, they had passed many excellent ideas on to us — such as how to use moonshine whiskey to kill insect pests — but we rarely use the old ideas any more. We instead opted for modern agriculture. We now realise its hazards, both to ourselves and our natural environment,” said Banyen Kanyana, a villager of Ban Mae Ra Wan.
According to Pradit, villagers who are interested in environmentally-sustainable farming can attend a free training course. About 30 households are currently involved in the project. “After hearing about the organic farm and its benefits six months ago, we jumped at the opportunity offered by the authorities,” said Pradit.
According to Pradit, making organic fertiliser is fairly laborious, but not complicated. The materials used are easy to find and available in large quantities for almost no cost.
To make compost, a natural fertiliser, leaves, straw, and dried grass are chopped up and mixed with animal dung. Next they are sprinkled with so-called Effective Micro-organisms (EM) soaked in molasses and water. The pile is then covered with a rubber cloth or a sack for six hours and turned over. The fertiliser can be used when it is completely dry.
In the past, dried rice and stalks left over from the harvest were burned, thus killing a source of good micro-organisms. Now villagers use the bio-extract liquid from these items to eliminate weeds and grass on the paddy fields. Micro-organisms in the liquid decompose the weeds and grass and turn them into nutritious fertiliser for the next crop.
Earthworms are then released into the field to help till the land. Flooding the paddy fields allows aquatic animals like small shrimps, crabs and fish to thrive and reproduce. In turn, they also become food for farmers, Pradit explained.
Because the paddies are flooded, the earthworms will rise to the surface — that's when it's time to release the catfish, climbing perch fish, or pla mor, and the snake-head fish, or pla chon, to catch the earthworms, a perfect natural means of controlling the earthworm population. In addition, snake-head fish also feed on rats, a villainous enemy of young rice.
To prevent plant diseases, bio-extract liquid made from some types of fruit and leaves that are hostile to insects is sprayed on the paddies.
To keep the land fertile, beans are cultivated on rice fields. After harvest, the plants are tilled into the soil, which introduces nitrogen into the soil — plants find nitrogen to be very nutritious.
These techniques are employed repeatedly throughout the year.
Yields are quite high. One ear of rice provides about 200 grains. Previously it offered only about 100. In addition, the grains bombarded with chemical substances are thin and fragile. Tests conducted by the Department of Agriculture reveal that grains produced by organic farms are healthy and rich in nutrition.
Compared to synthetic fertiliser, organic fertiliser is superior. Synthetic fertiliser scattered on the rice field is completely consumed by plants within 45 days, whereas organic fertiliser remains for about 90 days. As well, one kilogramme of organic fertiliser costs about 3.50 baht; its synthetic counterpart is 7.50 baht.
Synthetic fertiliser must be used annually, in ever-increasing amounts, hence the chemical substances left behind in the soil. The amount of organic fertiliser used decreases by 20 percent every year. More importantly, while synthetic fertiliser makes the soil harder, natural fertiliser leaves it loose.
“Organic fertiliser is environmentally friendly. It also serves as food for the aquatic animals,” Pradit said.
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