The impression on Thai farmers and water buffaloes.
To do the farming is our lifestyle since the ancient time. There are many evidences to show that we knew how to do the cultivation since the prehistoric period and buffalo is always the farmer's best friend. Nowadays, Thailand is called as the kitchen of the world because we export many kinds of food to many countries all around the world. However, the industries seem to take more part in our country now, the number of the buffalo is decreased and placed with the farming machinery. Moreover, globalisation and new technology inventions bring some imaginary of wealthy and influential. The young farmers at present are dramatically decreased because they want to try their luck to work in the factory in the big city. The buffalo that was once the beast of the burden was brought to the slaughterhouse. What will happen to Thailand if the situation is not change?.
Working in the paddy field is such a hard work. The farmer has to work outdoors most of the time. The days begin before the sunrise, prepare themselves and go to the field. Every day, the farmer has to take care of their yield; plough their field, scatter the rice, transplant the sprout, put fertiliser and wait for the time to harvest. The reward is so little that many people think it is not worthwhile. The benefit from farming is not certain, some years the farmer has to wager with the nature. Since farming has to use a lot of water, most of the farmer put their fait on the nature. If there is too much rain the paddy sprout will drowned under the water, and if there is no rain the sprout can not grow.
In the old days, there was no farming machinery to help the farmer with these chores. The farmer has to use their labour to do their jobs. They have to till their lands by themselves associate with the only help from the buffalo, the beast of burden. They have to trudge in the vast lands of mud so that the field is ready for transplanting the rice sprout.