A sea of yellow carpets large swathes of land in a secluded village of Buri Ram where local farmers have found financial security with the golden petals of the ever popular dao rueng.
More than 30 families in tambon Ban Nong Mai Ngarm in Ban Kruat district have single-handedly worked from the ground up to transform the village. Previously they farmed cassava, sugar cane and potato, but now they have built one of the country's main marigold centres -- with zero help from the state.
The border village south of Buri Ram's Muang district is home to families who once struggled under the crushing weight of debt and, who have now seen their lives turned around from the riches of dao rueng.
The flowers of the distinct Cana Yellow and Cana Golden breeds commonly form the body of garlands and floral arrangements for religious activities and ceremonies. At other times, they adorn the offerings put before Buddha images.
The outstanding features of the Cana breed are in its deep yellow and golden colours, which are in high demand in the large flower market. With the petals and the torus firmly attached, the Cana can be grown anywhere in Thailand and in any weather condition.
Sompong Palang, 48, originally from Nakhon Ratchasima, said she followed her neighbours into marigold farming. "It was worth a try," she said.
It was the perfect enterprise for her, and she began her farm with a small plot and scant knowledge about the plant.
She chose the Cana breed because it grows easily and fast.
More than 30 families grow the flowers at Ban Nong Mai Ngarm, the only large farms near the Thai-Cambodian border in Buri Ram. The families farm between eight and 40 rai of flowers.
The plants need fertiliser, pesticides and plenty of water. The farms are located close to water resources such as reservoirs and canals.
Ms Sompong said the marigolds are cut daily and sold in markets, including the country's major flower wholesale facility at Pak Klong Talad in Bangkok. Between 200,000 and 300,000 marigolds are harvested daily at her farm and those she is affiliated to. The flowers are sorted and sold at varying prices, from one baht down to 20 satang apiece, according to size. She drives the family truck to Bangkok to deliver the flowers.
Ban Ngarm Sa-ard Moo 13 in tambon Ban Nong Mai Ngarm is the centre for producing and supplying the flowers for the big markets in Bangkok.
"I used to work in cassava, corn, sugarcane, but didn't make much money," Ms Sompong said. "I was disheartened. But then I turned to growing marigolds. After that, my life improved.
"You can grow marigolds as a business, if you understand the market and have adequate water for the farms," she said.
Marigolds provide an alternative crop. The flowers take about 60 days to mature when they are ready to be cut.
Born and raised in Nakhon Ratchasima, Ms Sompng settled in Buri Ram's Ban Ngarm Chaoren Pattana where she finished Prathom 6 some 20 years ago.
She later married a local man from Ban Nong Mai Ngarm and the couple earned a living farming rice, cassava and sugarcane, but the family struggled. They decided to abandon the crops in 2003 and turned to marigold farming.
At first they planted only half a rai of marigolds. But before long, the business grew until they were able to employ about 20 workers.
"Here the growers have formed a group and we support each other without help from government agricultural offices. We've farmed through trial and error," Ms Sompong said.
She said only the Cana Gold and Yellow breeds are grown in the village. But she will try growing other types if the flowers are of a high quality and popular with buyers.
Another grower, Manas Thongsaeng, said he pioneered marigold farming in the area 20 years ago.
He said he selected the right marigold breeds for the land and weather conditions as well as formulated his own fertiliser.
Chatree Chaisa, 55, said he switched from cassava and sugar cane to marigolds more than 10 years ago as the other crops were not turning much profit.
The Cana Gold and Cana Yellow breeds require gentle care and a lot of work to prevent diseases and repel insects.
Mr Chatree owns about 40 rai of marigold land near the Lam Junghan and Lam Pratia dams in Lahan Sai district of Buri Ram, 20-30 kilometres from Ban Nong Mai Ngarm.
He feels the state should assist in promoting commercial marigold farming.
"[State agencies] have not helped nor promoted marigold farming projects here. They only come to visit or tour our fields," he said.
Some farmland was rented out at a cost of 1,500 baht per rai to people wanting to farm the marigolds.
While the actual farming can generate a substantial income, with relatives and close friends working the fields, caring for the flowers poses quite a challenge, particularly in the wet season when heavy rain can do a lot of damage. He has sometimes lost more than 100,000 baht per rai per season to the weather.
Prices are determined by market conditions, and that sometimes creates stress for the farmers, especially when they feel they are being taken advantage of.
"We spend about 300 baht per worker per day -- I have six to 10 workers. That comes down to between 1,800 and 3,000 baht per day for labour costs," he said.
Mr Chatree said he once worked in construction in Singapore before returning to Thailand to farm rice, and then sold cassava and sugar cane. He later went into the grape orchard business.
"But I didn't do well at all. I was disheartened because I wound up in debt. I had to pay for my children's schooling. But a big break came after growing the marigolds," he said, adding he started farming out of a desire to be self-employed, with no boss to tell him what to do.
Amporn Pakarano, 45, another marigold farmer from Nakhon Ratchasima, has many stories to tell of failure to grow cash crops like cassava and potato. At one point, he supplied milk to a local school, but that too, didn't work out.
"Marigolds bloom, meaning they are ready to be cut, in two months. I can earn more income quickly," he added.
On his six-rai farm with its 47,000 marigold plants, he manages to harvest the flowers 10 times a month. His marigolds fetch the best prices from May to July when demand peaks. Farms in the province are not heavily affected by the onset of the rainy season and are able to generate steady supplies.
The demand is driven by the major religious festivities such as Asarnha Bucha Day and Buddhist Lent in July.
However, when the rainy season is in full swing after July, many marigold farms take a battering.
Output wise, though, the cool season is when supplies reach their peak. Each plant can produce up to eight large flowers at a time although it also means a slump in prices, Mr Amporn said.
He remembers the marigold boom of several years ago when a single, A-grade flower was priced at two baht.
He grows the flowers on his own land, part of which is leased by other farmers. Some of the plots were bought from fellow farmers early in his business. He makes 30,000 to 50,000 baht profit per month from the farm.
Mr Amporn said his farm has thrived with no help from the government, and he would like to keep it that way.
He criticised the local agricultural extension office and related agencies for paying lip service to the conditions on the farms.
He insisted the success of his marigold farm was gained from years of learning from mistakes and weaving in local wisdom passed on through generations of farmers.
"It's about working from the heart," he said, adding marigolds themselves have long been associated with sanctity and sacred rites.
"We call farm owners and workers by their names with the dao prefix," he said. Marigolds, or dao rueng, connote glitter and prosperity.
With no help from the state, the farmers look to private firms with expertise in crop seed development technology and innovation. Seminars and meetings have been organised to keep the farmers updated on the new farming know-how.
For Aoraya Endkaen, 53, who goes by her alias of Dao Aoraya, her 30 rai of marigolds provide a steady livelihood. She grows about 60,000 marigold plants, which give her security.
Despite the ups and downs of the farm business, the plants are resilient enough to yield enough flowers to make up for losses in the previous season.
Sometimes, she said, cut-throat competition threatens to kill off the industry, with some farmers choosing to undercut prices to push up sales.
While Buri Ram is one of the biggest producers of marigolds in the country, the trick to sustaining a farm and prospering is to understand the entire growing process and the supply chain.
Farmers pick and sort through basket-loads of marigolds in Ban Nong Mai Ngarm in Buri Ram. Though prices can fluctuate, the flowers are constantly in demand, especially during significant religious festivals. photos by Phitsanu Thepthong
