In the Year 1964 following the Royal instigation of His Majesty the King, the Ministry of Agricuture and Co-operatives, with a close and generous support from the Government of Israel, set up the Thai-Isreal Rural Development Project on a 500 rai plot of land at Hup Kaphong, Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province, in oder to conduct research and study in various aspects of agriculture, including the marketing aspect before beginning operations as
the Hup Kaphong Land Development Project on a 10,000 rai plot of land with the initial membership of 120 families, who were each allotted 25 rai of land agricultural purposes. In accordance with His Majesty's behest, the farmsteads may be inherited within the family, but may not be sold as the title deeds joinly belong to the Hup Kaphong Co-operation Community as a whole.
During the initial stages of the Hup Kaphong Land Development Project, various agencies of the Ministry of Agricuture and Co-operatives co-operated closely in the building of the infra-structures of the community, such as roads, artesian wells and other facilities, including the allocation of two separate plots of arable land: one for plants that depend on water from irrigative sources, such as tomatoes, asparagus, mngoes and wood-apples; and another for plants that can be sustained by rain water, such as corn, sugar cane and watermelons.
Due to the limited size of arable land at the Hup Kaphong Land Development Project, which was insufficient to accomodate more needy farmers, His Majesty the King, therefore, asked the Government to provide another size for a similar co-operative community to be established on a 2,580 rai tract of land at Don Khun Hai, also in Cha-am District, Phetchaburi Province.
In the Year 1971, the Ministry of Agricuture and Co-operatives, with the co-operation of the Local Administration Organization of Phetchaburi Province, began to construct such infra-structural facilities for the new community as roads, reservoirs and artesian wells. The Local Administration Organization of Phetchaburi Province also selected farmers to become members of the co-operative community. Fifteen rai of arable land was provided to each family with the understanding that the land may be inherited within
the family but may not be sold as the title deed belongs to the whole co-operative community.
Since August 12, 1971, the date of the establishment of the Hup Kaphong Co-operative Community, the co-operative community farmers have been able to grow and find ready makets for exotic crops such as asparagus, as the demands, both at home and abroad, far exceeds the supplies. Furthermore, workers trained by officials of the co-operative help the members to package the produce so that they may withstand long transportation journeys.
In addition to selling their produces through the co-operative, the farmers may sell their fruits and vegetables directly to the visitors to the Hup Kaphong Co-operative Community thereby earning extra incomes.
The Hup Kaphong Co-operative Committee had on behalf of the co-operative community, borrowed a sum of 160,000 baht to buy a tractor in order to help the members clear additional arable land with the stipulation that the money would be returned to the co-operative community's revolving funds within a period of six years. And, on the occasion of His Majesty the King's official visit to the co-operative community, on May 26, 1973, the co-operative committee submitted a request for His Majesty the King to anoint the machine in order to bless its future undertakings.
As His Majesty the King had been concerned with the Hup Kaphong Land Development Project, since its conception; he hs often paid unannounced visits to the co-operative community as on April 1, 1974 when he went to observe the cultivation of yard long beans as one of the farmsteads.
On June 15, 1974, their Majesties the King and Queen, accompanied by Their Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Princess Chulabhon, visited a day-care centre at the Hup Kaphong Land Development Project which was set up by the co-operative communityin order to look after the young children while the parents are away working on the farmstead.
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