KKU organizes the “Long Khaek” or rice reaping activity for students in order to maintain the wisdom heritage of the sufficiency economy community, lessening expense and upgrading the living
“Long Khaek” in Isan is a tradition and culture that shows how people assisted one another in the past, which made the work complete more quickly. The activity includes planting, reaping, threshing of rice, as well as keeping the threshed rice in the silo. All of these are hard work of Isan people. In the past it was a tradition in which people asked relatives and friends to help since the work cannot be done by family members alone. It could be worse if it rained and the rice could be damaged. The host would take care of the friends and relatives by treating them with meals. The reaping then circulated from one family to another until the end of the season.
Friday November 22, 2019 at the rice fields of Mrs. Sompan Phapao at Ban Ton, Phra Yuen Sub-district, Muang District, Khon Kaen – KKU by Office of Academic Service, Faculty of Agriculture and International College organized the “Prototype Community of Sufficiency Economy” with Phra Yuen Sub-district, Ban Ton Municipality and Betagro Office for Social Responsibility held the “Long Khaek” event or rice reaping in order to promote the graceful tradition. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kriengkrai Kitcharoen, Vice President for Human Resources and Acting Director of Office of Academic Service presided over the opening ceremony. Mr. Sutthipong Khamnuthai, a member of Ban Ton Municipality Committee welcomed the participants. Mrs. Anong Chaisri, Permanent Secretary of ban Ton Sub-district, Acting President of Ban Ton Municipality gave a reporting speech. Then the students, staff, community leaders and farmers in the community join in the “Long Khaek” or rice reaping.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kriengkrai Kitcharoen said, “Academic service is the transfer of valuable things to the people under KKU’s strategy on the changing of academic service, especially in community development under the sufficiency economy principle so that people will live a better life with less social gap. This “Long Khaek” tradition is held for students to help conserve and learn about the rice reaping tradition of Isan people. They will learn how to reap rice and at the same time build relations with the community as well as become aware of the old beautiful tradition of the past that is worth keeping and continuing from generation to generation.
“We have carried out integrated project for 3 years. We learn that Isan people do the rice paddy in a throwing seeds style. This uses a lot of rice cultivars and a high cost. We therefore introduced “Chong Salika Model” from Betagro Company in Lopburi which was successful to Ban Ton so that the farmers would obtain better products. These paddy fields are the first to do it this year. We have to carry out research to see how much we will get and how we could increase incomes for the farmers. Besides the economic side, we also take care of the people’s health with the cooperation from Faculties of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health and Dentistry.”
Mrs. Sompan Phapao, the farmer who owns the fields said, “KKU helps by teaching us how to improve the products by growing nuts after harvest. Last year, we were given the Tansirin cultivars to grow. Formerly, the production was 15 bags per rai. This increased to 45 bags. This year, since there are only two persons at our house, we were suggested to do the rice tossing in a one-rai field. Today we can reap without any charge and can reduce our expense. I’m very happy and glad that KKU does not leave us behind. The municipality also assists. We do hope the university will continue helping us. We can see that the production from the tossing technique is effective and yields more products. We used to hire labor to do it for 300 baht a day and we need 5 people to do it. If we do this tossing technique then it can be only me and my husband. We can manage the 5 rai. It’s not too much. The rice grows well and yields good products.”
“Mee” or Ajarn Suriwongsa Ladsamee, an exchange student under a PhD program of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and a professor of Lao National University said, “I come here with a younger friend from Lao PDR who studies for a master’s degree. It is a good chance for us to see the lifestyles of people here. We learn a lot from reaping rice, working in team, and eating together. This is a good start for cultural exchange. The lifestyle in Lao is also similar to this.”
The prototype community towards sufficiency economy project of Office of Academic Service is another mechanism that propels work with the community besides succeeding good tradition. It enables learning of community areas where the sufficiency economy is practiced. There is collaboration with organizations both inside and outside KKU that promotes people to reduce their expense and increase products from various techniques which in turn increase the incomes. This community development model is a model that helps a community to grow and become sustainable strong in terms of economy.
[rl_gallery id=”6314″]
News/ Photos: Watchara Noichompoo
[ Thai ]
