Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited or GULF organized the “Harvesting in the Footsteps of Tradition” activity, a demonstration of the cultural heritage of farmers’ traditional harvesting rituals for the younger generation as well as the local community and those interested in learning about rice harvesting. The pre-harvesting ritual involves worshiping ‘Mae Phosop’, the goddess and the protector of rice, which marks the commencement of the harvest, followed by rice grinding and threshing, which is the process rice goes through before becoming the loose grains used in daily life. This rice harvesting ceremony took place at the Nong Saeng Agricultural Learning Center and Demonstration Farm, a part of the GNS power project in Saraburi province. The rice paddy is part of a larger demonstration farm developed by GULF to serve as a New Agricultural Theory learning center and local recreational area to promote organic farming and eco-tourism.

Mr. Tanon Tantisunthorn, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited, stated “The harvesting activity not only preserves the traditional farming culture, but also reinforces the unity between the local community and GULF employees. Though the demonstration farm was originally developed as part of the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements, the benefits have extended far beyond its original purpose as the project has become an agricultural learning center providing knowledge to visitors, creating job opportunities and generating extra income for the local community. GULF will continue to do its best in creating shared value for communities surrounding its power plants and for the general society.”

Mr. Pongpichet Chaivej, a farmer at the Nong Saeng’s Power Plant’s agricultural and demonstration farm learning center, said “The learning center maintains a paddy field to focus on the development of high-quality rice, an key agricultural product that has built a long-standing reputation for Thailand, by trialing new varieties of rice e.g. Hom Pathum rice that has high nutritional value and well-known for its aromatic smell and softness, similar to Thai jasmine rice. The harvests are developed into quality products for the learning center, inspiring local farmers and increasing income for the local community. In addition to rice, the demonstration farm team also grows several types of vegetables and herbs and produces organic fertilizer which is then used on the farm. The local community can also learn how to produce their own fertilizer, especially vermicast (earthworm fertilizer), which not only helps reduce the use of chemicals but also helps reduce agricultural waste such as wood scraps, plant clippings and manure. In addition, fertilizer is also produced from sediment filtered out during the water treatment process at the Company’s power plants.”

“Rice harvesting activities help farmers gain confidence in traditional farming practices. It reaffirms that the community can coexist with the industrial sector like the Nong Saeng Power Plant. For the past 5 years, locals here have been learning about organic farming from GULF, which I could say that it is another driving force for the community to have a better quality of life,” stated Mr. Pirom Toomkaew, chief of Moo 1, Nong Kob district, Saraburi Province.

GULF has initiated a demonstration farm project and has developed it into an agricultural learning center on 42-rai land to share the knowledge to people in the community, government agencies and those who are interested. It also serves as green space for recreational area where visitors can relax and enjoy the revitalizing nature. Therefore, GULF is committed to further develop the agricultural learning center and demonstration farm to promote a sustainable agricultural model, farming practices as well as to expand holistic knowledge to farmers in the region.