Sufficiency Economy and the New Theory Agricultural are the step-by-step leading principles which help people be self-dependent by lowering the natural change’s risks, by using moderation, reasonableness, knowledge, diligence, savings, prudence, collaboration, and harmony.

Background of the New Theory Agricultural

Along the time of his reign, His Majesty the King has gone to visit lots of places in the country. His true purpose is to listen to Thai people’s difficulty in lives, so he has the royal thought of new principles in managing farmers’ lands for the highest advantage in using. One of these is called ‘New Theory Agricultural’.

Principles and Steps of the New Theory Agricultural

The new principle of managing and dividing the farmers’ lands into each zone and of using them with highest advantage has its principles and steps which are :

1. First Step of New Theory Agricultural : the principle of the First Step New Theory Agricultural consists of ;

1) Lands : To divide lands into each zone and use them with highest advantage, His Majesty the King has calculated from using an average of each family’s owning lands: 15 Rai. However, if farmers have owned lands less than 15 Rai, they can use a ratio of 30:30:30:10 as following :

• The first zone : 30% is used as a reservoir for storing water in rainy season, for cultivating in dry season, and for feeding aquatic animals and aquatic plants.

• The second zones : 30% is for cultivating rice in the rainy season in order to have enough food in each day, also for reducing the expenses and for being self-dependent.

• The third zones : 30% is for cultivating vegetables, farm crops, herbs, fruits , perennial plants ,etc for daily foods and for selling.

• The forth zones : 10% is for habitats, feeding animals, and other buildings.

2) Harmony: Because the first step of New Theory Agricultural principle is a moderate producing process which farmers are able to live self-reliantly and economically, their communities have to collaborate with each other as can be seen in the traditional gathering for growing rice, so called “long kak” , which could help they reduce their expenses.

3) Crops : Because of the fact that rice is major factor, every household consumes for living, so learners’ family cultivating on 5-Rai land would let them have enough rice for consuming in one year which could help they reduce their expenses.

4) Water Sources : Doing the New Principle Agricultural requires water for cultivating plants in a dry season. As a result, it is need to prepare one zone of lands for using as a reservoir as can be seen in the principle that there must be enough water for using in one year.

3. Third Step of New Theory Agricultural : This is a step of developing farmers by contacting and collaborating for sources of investment funds, for example, a bank, or a private individual, in order to search for an investment and for the development of the quality of life. Doing this, both will gain :-

1) Farmers are able to sell their products in high prices without being lowered them.

2) The bank and the private individual are able to buy rice in a low price because they buy it directly from the farmers and grind it by their own.

3) Farmers are able to buy products at a low price, because of the fact that they buy them in a large amount which means that the buying price will be a wholesale price.

4) The bank and the private individual are able to use the human sources for working more efficiently.

The New Theory Agriculture’s advantages.

1) Self-immunity : The New Theory Agricultural has hold to the principle “God helps those who help themselves” by emphasizing mainly on cultivating crops in the enough amount for household’s consumption. The secondary purpose is to sell the rest of products in order to gain more incomes and benefits.

2) Community Empowerment : The New Theory Agricultural has paid more intention in the gathering of villagers. Building a community, the villagers will have their responsibilities as various economical operators which include Integrated Farming, handicraft, food processing, business, community’s traveling, etc. After being empowered and well-known, the people in community would have gained better quality of lives and earn more incomes, also receive the remedy in every trouble. As a result, a country’s economy development would grow more efficiently.

3) Harmony : The New Theory Agricultural has relied on the state of peoples’ being gentle, generous, and harmony. A cooperation in working for the highest profits does not refer only to an income, but also to other advantages : strengthening a family’s, social, and community’s bond, and the ability of conserving natural resources and environment.

An example of applying the principle of Sufficiency Economy in living which is a step-by-step agricultural development in an appropriate land is then divided into 3 steps *:

Case Study

Case Study : Grow everything you eat, eat everything you grow , live happily and sufficiently.

Boonpeng Jantaphar, a farmer from Huai-Tang-Pu-Tan village, Maiya District, Amphoe Phaya Mengrai, Chiang Rai province, is famous for his application of Sufficiency Economy’s principle in living.

At first, Boonpeng is poor and has been a beggar for a while. After that, he has studied in the temple and begun using virtues “Four Rddhippada (Itthibaht 4)” and “four principles virtuous existence(Phrommavihan 4)” in living. He, then, has gone to earn a living in Brunai in 1986 with the hope of raising his family’s position, but did not succeed. Having only 2,000 baht,

Boonpeng came back to Thailand and began to think that be hardworking likes as in Brunei may help him earn the sufficiently incomes by working in Thailand. In 2009, a government has released of the obligation, however, Boonpeng cannot, because his dept is more than a hundred thousand baht. He, then, held a picture of His Majesty the King and prayed that he and his family are going to be more hardworking, also stop doing anything unnecessary, growing everything they eat, eating everything they grow, and hoping to release him from the obligation within 4 years.

A self-reliant Boonpeng has used the New Theory Agricultural in farming and applied folk wisdom with a modern knowledge gained from observing activities. Using the resources efficiently has resulted in reducing assets which leads to an annually more incomes from selling agricultural crops, also resulted in learning how to be economical, not being in debt, not exploiting himself and the others, succeeding in his career, and being able to pass on knowledge.

Upon his farm-10 Rai 1 Ngan 35 Tarangwa - which has been appropriately divided according the New Theory Agricultural : 5 Rai for cultivating rice and for once in a year cultivating sticky rice alters with corns,watermelon,and musk melon. Another 5 Rai is for planting vegetables, herbs, and fruits such as longan, mango, and banana. The rest is used as a family’s habitat and as animals’ menagerie such as buffalo, pig, native chicken, and cricket.

The success in Boonpeng’s life is considered to be a good proof that “Sufficiency Economy” can be applied for the highest advantages of family and community. If knowing of how to think, consume, and live sufficiently, life would become more secured.

* from a Dailynews newspaper, Thursday 12^nd February 2009, page 10.

Suggesting and Supporting Family’s Members of the Worthy Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy in Order to apply it in living

After learning and understanding about the philosophy of Sufficiency Economy clearly that leads to apply it in working and living, learners will realize in the philosophy’s usefulness and value. It is very appropriate to introduce family’s members the worthy philosophy of Sufficiency Economy in order to apply it in living. The way of introducing is members’ being able to live self-reliantly and sufficiently by not exploiting the others, which results in happiness and satisfaction in life. Trying to improve themselves continually will result in the ability of living sufficiently in every condition. Moreover, the family’s members may help each other in doing life plans.