Local Thai Rice Varieties in Thungkula Rong-Hai : Wisdom to Production and Processing into Community Commercial Products and Established Reorganization Geographical System Where its Original, in Roi–Et Province

Abstract

The purposes of this research were 1) to study background, the status quo, problems, and wisdom in cultivating local rice varieties in Thung Kula Rong Hai; 2) to establish a geographical information system of the origins of each local rice variety in Thung Kula Rong Hai; and, 3) to develop a local rice processing model in Thung Kula Rong Hai, making it a commercial product of communities. The research site included five districts in Roi Et province located in the Thung Kula Rong Hai area: Pathum Rat District, Kaset Wisai District, Suwannaphum District, Phon Sai District, and Nong Hee District. The key informants consisted of 80 people who are scholars, local wisdom elites, rice traders, and rice consumers, together with 20 specialists, 30 practitioners, and 30 general people. The research techniques used were surveys, observation, interviews, and an audio recording of focus group discussion. The tools used were smart phones, Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, voice recorders in both field and off field research, employing cultural qualitative research methods in collecting data. The data has been validated and analyzed using descriptive analysis. The results showed that

1. The rice varieties in the Thung Kula Rong Hai area are as follows: Lao Tak rice, Kam Bai Keao rice, Non Thong rice, Hom Lung Da rice, Pong Aw rice, Mae Hang glutinous rice, Kam Kieng rice, Hom Dong rice, Pla Keng glutinous rice, Luem Pua glutinous rice, Dam glutinous rice, Phaya Leum Kaeng rice, Phawade Tia rice, and et cetera. In the past, farmers cultivated different local varieties of rice according to conditions of their arable farms and rainfall amount. Thai local rice was mainly harvested by farmers controlling buffalo as a harvesting tool. Based on local farming, the goal was to have rice merely to consume, so it was not much of an investment. The grains of rice might already be available to farmers or asked for from their neighbors. Farming was usually based on their beliefs, ancestors, traditions, or even trial by using traditional wisdom. The selection of rice varieties had two characteristics: heavy rice and light rice. Therefore, farmers needed to choose the grains of rice to suit their arable farms to achieve high yields. Nowadays, not only do most farmers produce rice for consumption but also for distribution, ipso facto, farming machines are increasingly used. The farmers also learn about new farming methods and distribution channels as they highlight high-priced and heavily-demand rice. These rice-producing people are in a group of organic- farming farmers and large-sized farm farmers in which they develop their varieties of rice to be more endurable and highly productive.
2. The geographical coordinates of each rice origins in Thung Kula Rong Hai have been determined by the angular measurements of latitude and longitude based on the distances from the origins of each rice varieties. It is found that the latitude and longitude coordinates for rice’s origin in Pathum Rat are: 15°42'19.5"N, 103°21'54.0"E., 15°42'24"N, 103°21'11"E.; rice’s origin in Kaset Wisai are: 15°32'20.2"N, 103°32'54.9"E., 15°33'03"N, 103°34'16"E.; rice’s origin in Suwannaphum are: 15°43'26.5"N, 103°47'44.1"E., 15°39'59.0"N, 103°40'56.8"E.; rice’s origin in Phon Sai are: 15°26'25"N, 103°58'24.3"E., 15°26'25"N, 103°58'24.3"E.; and, rice’s origin in Nong Hee are: 15°36'48"N, 103°59'50"E., 15°34'37"N, 104°01'38"E., 15°33'00"N, 103°57'29"E. 3 . The manufacturing process of rice in Thung Kula Rong Hai to become a commercial product of communities were divided into two stages. The first is to group farmers as a community so that there are sufficient goods to sell continuously. At this stage, it can be considered as a community enterprise and an organic- farming group. In the second stage, these farmers transform grains of rice into different commercial products such as jasmine rice flour, Hom Nin rice flour, Luem Pua glutinous rice flour, rice berry flour, rice milk jelly, a dessert made from jasmine rice, jasmine rice leaf beverage, breakfast cereal made from jasmine rice, creamy jasmine rice soup, crispy rice bar, bakery flour made from jasmine rice, jasmine rice milk powder, jasmine rice snack, non-dairy creamer made from jasmine rice, jasmine rice waffle, “Kleep Lam Duan” Thai dessert, butter cake, cookie, and butter chiffon made from jasmine rice flour. Keywords: Local rice varieties, Thungkula Rong-Hai, Geographic information