A Thai village chief came to Dong Thap to share his 20 years of experience growing organic rice, "living together" with cranes.

A delegation of farmers from Buriam province (Thailand) recently had a meeting and shared experiences with a group of farmers producing organic rice and ecological agriculture in the buffer zone of Tram Chim National Park (Tam Nong, Dong Thap). Here, a Thai village chief shared his experience of growing organic rice over the past 20 years.

Along with instructing artisans in making red-crowned cranes from straw in Tam Nong district, Dong Thap province, a group of farmers and artisans from Buriram province (Thailand) recently had a meeting to exchange experiences with a group of farmers producing organic rice, ecological agriculture and ecotourism around the buffer zone of Tram Chim National Park, in Tam Nong district.

During the meeting, Mr. Thongpoon Aunjit - Head of Swai So village, presented the villagers' experience in organic rice farming over the past 20 years and how the villagers have taken care of the re-released Thai cranes currently living in the rice fields of the area.

Mr. Thongpoon Aunjit (sitting in the middle), Head of Swai So village (Thailand) interacted with farmers of Tam Nong ( Dong Thap ).

According to Mr. Thongpoon, the development of organic rice in Buriram province has gone through 3 stages and has been carried out gradually. The Thai government has supported farmers a lot in the initial stages, including investment in equipment and training in production methods.

The key to success, according to Mr. Thongpoon, is choosing native rice varieties that are resistant to pests and produce high-quality rice. He also said that Buriram farmers' profits are not only derived from rice but also from many other sources, including rural tourism.

Since the cranes were reintroduced and chose the organic rice fields as their habitat, the people of Swai So village have also enjoyed many other benefits from the cranes, such as an increase in the number of tourists and the attention of the whole society.

The exchange session created a lively atmosphere, sharing and discussing many issues related to organic rice cultivation and crane conservation.

Representatives of Tam Nong farmers enthusiastically participated in the exchange and raised many specific questions about production organization such as how to prepare land, make organic fertilizers, prevent rice pests, consume products, and make profits. All questions were answered frankly and sincerely by representatives of Buriram farmers.

There was a very interesting question from a Tam Nong farmer: “How to attract cranes to nest and breed in your field?” Mr. Thongpoon recalled the first pair of cranes that flew to his field. The cranes looked at him and his wife, and he and his wife looked at the cranes. They seemed to recognize a connection. Since then, every year the cranes have returned to nest in his family’s field. Mr. Thongpoon believes that if people love cranes, the cranes will also stick with people.

It is known that this is one of the activities to celebrate the Program to announce the Project to conserve and develop the Red-crowned Crane flock at Tram Chim National Park, which will take place on December 12, 2024.

Source: https://danviet.vn/mot-truong-lang-cua-thai-lan-den-dong-thap-chia-se-kinh-nghiem-20-nam-trong-lua-huu-co-song-chung-voi-seu-20241221101904532.htm