In order to promote the organic agriculture system in Thailand we are happy to relate our experiences as a guideline for other farmers interested to join our pathway of sustainable agriculture.

The followings are quotes from real organic farmers active in the developmenmt of this Organic Agriculture Project, Sukhothai Airport.

P�Ong has previously been an owner of chemical agriculture system, struggling for many years before she has arrived at this best answer of �Organic Agriculture�.

P�One insisted that even though the project today has grown considerably but the original goal has not changed with time, i.e. to produce good and safe quality foods to serve our own family, relatives and employees in our network of companies.

�We are a big family so we have to carry our organic agriculture in a large size area in order to, first of all, have sufficient good foods for our people. Whatever oversupply will then be sold to the public.�

P�Ong also expects this project to be a prototype of organic agriculture along the sufficiency life style for villagers as well. There is no need for vast land, or food stuff production on a commercial scale. Just select an appropriate size of land for family members and follow the organic agriculture along sufficiency life style would be enough for survival.

�No need to do much, just enough to eat, to support all members of the family and you can survive. Enough is enough� P� Ong insisted.

Bworn Kaewkanya or �P�Worn�

�Previously I did not know what was organic aagriculture. Once the word ban I realized that this was actually the original farming practice we had been doing without chemicals and with certain technological support.�

Twenty years before P�Worn used to farm in the old way with buffalo doing the ploughing, cattle dropping and paddy husk to replenish the soil, without realizing that those were the farming format closely resemble the organic agriculture system.

Not until he got involved in the running of the project did he came to an understanding that organic agriculture was actually the original way of farming, which turned back to the time when chemicals were unknown and adopted nature as the main factor. This practice was more feasible because more mechanical tools were brought in to reduce labor and buffalo work.

P�Worn insisted that the organic agriculture that has been carried out in past several years has not encountered any serious problems yet. Any severe drought or flood should not disrupt the continuing stable progress.

P�Sarawuth Hongkam or �P�Kai�

�It is still a challenge to obtain better yield from paddy field without depending upon chemicals.�

P�Kai and his 10 members team are responsible for the overseeing of paddy field and fruit orchard. He related about organic paddy field that �We prepared the paddy field of the project by planting bean and hemp family. After growing and flowering they would be ploughed over as fresh plant fertilizer.�

Besides replenishing the soil with organic material the fresh plant fertilizer also help to reconstruct the loose soil, so that the root could absorb nutrients better. During the growing of paddy we would add a little more of organic fertilizer and bio solution to enhance growth.

Similar to paddy field elsewhere, Sherry snail is the worst pest to organic paddy. At first we used herbs but their effectiveness was only 50-60%, so we changed to ducks.

�We let ducks loose in the paddy field during transplanting and before putting forth ears. They would feed on small sherry snails leaving the big ones which we could hand pick them to use in making bio solution�. P�Kai explained. In organic paddy field here there are plenty of small living population such as spiders, dragon flies, and killing moth. These are the attackers controlling the rice pests without the need for chemical spray; and after harvest we dod not burn stumps of rice plants but rather ploughed them to let them deteriorate slowly to replenish the soil.

In the fruit orchard P�Kai related that starting 2 years ago now papaya, mango, mango plum, and banana were growing strongly without problems of diseases or insects. With consistent watering, pruning and adding of fertilizer to improve the soil there would be fruits for sale always.

Boonhome Hongdam or �P�joy�

�Success would encourage continuing of organic agriculture�



At first P�Joy was partly responsible for paddy field until we began growing organic vegetables, she was then moved to take over this new venture in the vegetable garden,

P�Joy told us that the planting and overseeing of various vegetables in the garden began during rainy season of 2008 starting with ploughing to dry the soil, replenishing with paddy husk and cow dropping. After that bed was raised, vegetable seeds were sown and covered with black husk. The latter would not become as compact as soil, so that vegetables could be easily pulled out, when ready for sale, without breaking the roots.

Every morning besides watering and weeding, P�Joy and her team have to oversee all vegetables closely bay walking around to check for changes. The sooner the disorder could be noticed the better we could prevent damages pf vegetable garden from diseases and pests.

An important secret behind organic vegetables was not to repeat planting the same vegetables in the same beds, but rather to circulate other vegetables around in order to continue receiving satisfactory yields.

Piya Chamnarnphrom sin �P� Ya�

� We do grading of rice all year round to select only the fully complete ones and remove the contaminants.�

P�Ya and his team of 4 work at the small mill. Their major job includes milling of rice paddy; grading and packaging; which requires endurance abd particularity, because not only removing contaminants such as gravel, stone, sand , etc. we also have to select only complete grains so as to ensure the best of quality for consumers.

Nakorn Tainoon or �P�Nakorn

� I do agree with the organic agriculture system all along one hundred per cent.�

Even though P�Nakorn does not have a direct role in raising rice, vegetables or fruits, but he has no lesser significant a part than any other organic farmers. His responsibility lies in the care and maintenance of every machine and equipment used in the project..Not only that every one of them has to be in ready condition but P�Nakorn must also be careful that there would not be any contamination of oil or chemicals from machines or equipments into the planting ground, in order to preserve organic agriculture condition in accordance with the requirement stated.