Cambodia's royal oxen eat corn and beans during the annual ploughing ceremony in Phnom Penh May 12, 2009. REUTERS/Chor SokuntheaTuesday May 12, 2009
PHNOM PENH (Reuters Life!) - Cambodia's royal oxen dismayed farmers on Tuesday by turning up their noses at a traditional offering of rice, an omen the royal astrologer said boded ill for the harvest of the country's biggest crop.
The annual ritual, in which oxen plough a field near the royal palace before being given offerings, is taken seriously by many of Cambodia's superstitious, and largely poor, farmers if not by most of the politicians and diplomats who attend it.
This year, the oxen ate corn, green beans and soy beans, but avoided the other grains they were offered.
"This means we will have plenty of the corn and beans, but a poor rice harvest," astrologer Kang Ken announced after the ceremony which was presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni.
"This worries me a lot," said 27-year-old rice farmer Chan Thy as she heard the prediction.
The main harvest season is in November, and many farmers only harvest once a year because of lack of water.
The government is seeking to boost rice exports and cut poverty among its 14 million people, 85 percent of whom are farmers or members of farming families.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cambodia was the world's ninth-biggest rice exporter in 2007 with 450,000 tonnes and the agriculture ministry says the country could export 8 million tonnes by 2015.
Prime Minister Hun Sen, who is spearheading the agricultural reform in Cambodia, did not attend the ceremony.
Cambodia's rice production has increased to 7.2 million tonnes for the 2008/09 season from 6.7 million in 2007/08.
The annual ritual, in which oxen plough a field near the royal palace before being given offerings, is taken seriously by many of Cambodia's superstitious, and largely poor, farmers if not by most of the politicians and diplomats who attend it.
This year, the oxen ate corn, green beans and soy beans, but avoided the other grains they were offered.
"This means we will have plenty of the corn and beans, but a poor rice harvest," astrologer Kang Ken announced after the ceremony which was presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni.
"This worries me a lot," said 27-year-old rice farmer Chan Thy as she heard the prediction.
The main harvest season is in November, and many farmers only harvest once a year because of lack of water.
The government is seeking to boost rice exports and cut poverty among its 14 million people, 85 percent of whom are farmers or members of farming families.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cambodia was the world's ninth-biggest rice exporter in 2007 with 450,000 tonnes and the agriculture ministry says the country could export 8 million tonnes by 2015.
Prime Minister Hun Sen, who is spearheading the agricultural reform in Cambodia, did not attend the ceremony.
Cambodia's rice production has increased to 7.2 million tonnes for the 2008/09 season from 6.7 million in 2007/08.
23 comments:
stop the stupid ritual....the reason the oxen don't eat rice is because they are sick of it....they see it every day....they help the human grow it....they want to eat something new.....just like men always want new women all the time....
^shut your mouth A-hole! These ceremonies are ancient and they make up Khmer culture...we should not stop them!
The important of this ceremony is no longer about the prediction, but rather to keep the tradition that bound the nation together.
I saw the same ceremony in Thailand by Thai royal family members.
Yes,I saw the same ceremony at the White House.
1:55pm. you mean the whore house painted in white while you were doing porn movie? I saw your porn via youtube.
2:05 PM
Fuck you, asshole!
Are you saying the that the "White House" is the new Whore House. Thanks for the info, asshole. Rest assured, I will pass on the info. Again, thanks, asshole.
Please use your comment with dignity... Thanks
Amazing, there are many gangsters read and comment in this blog.
this is a complete bullshit!
Khmers are full of shit. Their belief in superstition makes me sick & want to convert them to draught animals.
I doubt if the oxen graze on Preah Me Hour's pubic hair, will there be some hair on Xihamoni's head?
I am very sorry to see some readers curse Khmer people so badly like 4:27PM does.
If you look back in history of human, you would see how we as human had to do to curb with complexity of life. In every part of the world people believe in different form of religious. Khmer have worshiped many divines and are very superstitious people. that are what our ancestors left for us. But all are not that bad, because of this tradition that keep Khmer in existence. Now we use scientific method to solve problem and improve our lifestyle, but we must not forget and abolish those old traditions. Just keep them to characterize our identity. If people are well educated, they won't be so superstitious any more.
Whatever the oxen eat it's not important. What's important is our Cambodian tradition.
Just show how our ignorant our anscestors are :-)
I hope we are not celebrating for the shake of it. We should move on and keep only the good one and drop off the bad ones.
I just feel ambaress sometimes not being a Khmer but the practices
All traditions, we celebrated were born 1000 or long years ago. Our ancestors, the King Jayavarman VII, our former King was not a bad King as some of us believed.
Angkor Wat and other Temples were build with the higher level of knowledge from the Khmer experts. It means our ancestors have had a good educational background. We all should learn from them.
I do not see the royal ploughing ceremony as bad tradition or ignorant of our ancestors. In this past many villages across the country celebrated this tradition. It is a sign of the beginning of farming season. Now it is held only in the capital. It is also a good opportunity for farmers from every provinces to show their products. This year many things had been on display.
go to youtube. Khmer have porn too.
May lightning strike the traitors!
There was an accident of this annual ritual or Royal Ploughing ceremony in Thailand. This is not good sign for Thailand.
Khmerborder,
Yes, Thai ploughing ritual has an accident. Wow, Thai is coming to an end.
Yala separatists please rise up declare your independent!
If Malaysia won't support you, you must fight on your own.
The same with Khmer Krom, if Cambodia you, you must rise up and fight on your own.
Yala and Khmer Krom will get independent regardless.
Thanks! to the modern UN's law!!
Royal Thai ploughing is a copy from Khmer Royal ploughing. The Thai not have this ceremony until late 1970's or early 1980's when Cambodia was at war and no ploughing ceremonies were held.
I love Cambodian ploughing ceremony. I vacationed Cambodia last year was beautiful, took plenty pictures.
11:35 AM -- Love my ass
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