His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua has created the "Khok Nong Na" (Mound, Marsh and Rice Field) model to help convey the true meaning behind his father's sufficiency philosophy and demonstrate how farmers can adopt it.
He knows that fully understanding the Sufficiency Economy philosophy of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great may be difficult for those who are unfamiliar with the term.
Building on that philosophy, His Majesty the King designed the Khok Nong Na Model to help people who live in rural areas of the country cope better with one of their most critical problems -- drought.
Working behind the scenes, His Majesty has experimented with the model for years, said Wiwat Salyakamthorn, a former minister of agriculture and cooperatives who became well-known for training farmers in applying the philosophy in the agricultural sector.
In recent decades, as deforestation exacerbated the drought situation, the demand for water supplies increased. The key principle behind creating the Khok Nong Na model is to ensure sufficient supplies for both consumption and agriculture, he said.
The term provides a clear picture that can be linked to the lifestyles of people living in rural areas, he said. Khok Nong Na is an amalgamation of three Thai words that encapsulate key elements of this concept.
Khok, or mound, refers to the digging of ridges on fertile soil for growing crops and trees capable of withstanding local conditions to generate food or household income.
Nong, or marsh, refers to the construction of deep weirs to store water for agricultural use all year round and keep the surrounding land moist.
Na, or rice field, refers to growing organic rice with the aim of restoring essential nutrients to the soil so yields are pesticide-free and safe for consumption.
The Khok Nong Na model stands for rearranging a farm area by incorporating the philosophy of King Rama IX, Mr Wiwat said. It combines local wisdom and agricultural techniques and theories, so is an ideal way to promote organic farming and sustainable living, he said.
"His Majesty the King has always emphasised the importance of 'for use, not for show'," Mr Wiwat said.
"The King doesn't want any publicity and prefers to keep it simple."
