His Majesty the King initiated the Chitralada Farm's Rice Cultivation Project in the grounds of Chitralada Villa, Dusit Palace, in order to conduct experiments in rice cultivation and crop rotation whereby data could be
collected in order for His Majesty to analyze before devising ways and means to help raise the standard of living of the Thai people, the majority of whom are farmers. The project commenced on July 16th. B.E. 2504 (A.D. 1961)
when His Majesty sowed rice seeds in the experimental rice plots. His Majesty the King personally designated varying formulae in the usage of chemical and organic fertilizers and witnessed the various stages of rice farming from seedling to harvesting and threshing.
Over half of the 1 square kilometre area of Chitralada Villa is devoted to experimental projects in agriculture under
the Chitralada Gardens Project that aims to improve agricultural produce before introducting it to farmers.
The Annual First Ploughing Ceremony which is an ancient Brahminic rite to ensure a good harvest due to an abundance of rain and an absence of pestilence and floods was revived by
the Government, in the year B.E. 2503 (A.D. 1960), in accordance with His Majesty the King's wish to give importance to a day dedicated to farmers throughout the Kingdom.
The grains sown on the Ceremonial Field at the Sanam Luang Grounds since the year B.E. 2505 (A.D. 1962) have been rice seeds from the Chitralada Farm's experimental rice fields in the grounds of
Chitralada Villa, Dusit Palace, Bangkok, Thailand.
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