Thai Rice

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Khorat is an agricultural area with many paddy fields. Its farmers (ชาวนา) are called "the backbone of the nation".

Working in the paddy fields is a hard job. Only 70 to 100 Baht per day. Farmers have to get up early at 6 AM. During the day they are working in a hot muddy water. During the day their back is bent because they are planting rice. They wear big hats to protect them-selves against the sun.

Thai Rice: Hom Mali or fragrant rice

Hom Mali, the famous Thai naturally fragrant rice is certainly the world's best rice. Hom Mali rice is grown throughout the dry and salty Thung Kula Ronghai plain, which spreads across the provinces of Roi Et, Surin, Si Sa Ket, Maha Sarakham and Yasothon.

Despite the fact that Hom Mali rice can only grow once a year and despite the lower yield than other rice varieties, it became popular with the northeastern farmers of the Isaan due to its attractive selling price. It is also grown in other areas of Thailand. This rice yields about 350kg of grain per rai in the Northeast, 500kg per rai in the North and about 450kg per rai in the Central Plains.

Rice planting in Khorat

Paddy fields are filled with 30 centimetres of water. A soil border closes each field in order to keep the water. There are no snakes but leeches, which can be as long as a human finger and as wide as three fingers if they sucked blood. There are also fishes.

Buffaloes are not used anymore in the fields. They have been replaced by the iron buffaloes (ควายเหล็ก) or motor cultivators that are used in order to smooth the soil. Besides that they are also is used as a vehicle to drive on the roads when tires are added.

Rice seeds are gathered in one field where they grow. When they are big enough, they are moved to another field and planted with enough space to grow. The farmers make holes in the mud and put inside the rice plants. If the weather is too hot and water disappears from the fields, harvest is bad.