Khabar Southeast Asia

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'Uncle Sitt' returns to his roots

By Ahmad Ramansiriwong for Khabar Southeast Asia in Yala, Thailand

September 05, 2012

Prasit

Prasit "Uncle Sitt" Thongsai shows his limes, one of his most profitable crops, at his farm in Thailand's Yala Province. Locals come to his farm to learn his special techniques that result in award-winning organic produce. [Ahmad Ramansiriwong/Khabar]

Back in 2004, as Prasit "Uncle Sitt" Thongsai was working on his plantation in Yala's Sateng Nok district, he was set upon by suspected insurgents who shot him five times. Armed himself, he shot back and managed to drive away the intruders.

Ever since, "Uncle Sitt with the white beard" never ventures into the field without more than ten protective amulets draped across his bare chest. Like many Thai Buddhists, the 62-year-old believes the talismans offer real protection against bullets and many other potential dangers, whether physical or supernatural.

Growing up, Uncle Sitt earned a degree in engineering and at 27 was put in charge of the local electric power substation, earning 30,000 baht ($955) a month.

However, he decided to return to the family plantation to raise his four children, all of whom have since graduated from well-known universities.

Uncle Sitt – a firm believer in HM The King Bhumibol Adulyadej's "Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy", aimed at raising incomes and developing sustainable business practices -- uses organic farming techniques on his family's 35-rai (5.6 hectare) plantation.

Among the wide variety of fruits and vegetables he cultivates are durian, longkong, coconuts, chili, areca nut and lime.

In addition, he has also taken up aquaculture, raising fish known locally as pla nin (tilapia), and producing high-quality bio-fertilizers, which he uses himself and sells to agriculturalists in the village.

His farm is now a government-recognised learning centre and "demonstration" plantation with a steady stream of students, farmers and local villagers who come to learn his techniques. Uncle Sitt's work has also been recognised through numerous prizes and awards for the high-quality produce he grows – without relying on chemical insecticides or fertilizers.

A pioneer in local organic farming

"I started my career as a civil servant, but I changed course 35 years ago after HM The King introduced his Philosophy of the Sufficiency Economy. Since that time I have been able to support my family very well," he told Khabar Southeast Asia.

Uncle Sitt has about 500 lime trees growing on an area of about six rai (.96 hectare).

"Limes are one kind of fruit that can yield good results because they not only can be harvested year-round, but they can be stored for up to three months," he said. "The remarkable feature of my limes is that they are large, seedless and produce a lot of juice. This is because of the bio-fertilizer I use, which is a mixture of animal dung and ground up phosphorus minerals. I never use chemical fertilizers."

Uncle Sitt also provides ready-to-plant grafted clones of his lime trees at 50 baht ($1.60) each.

"I only do them when they are ordered by customers because it takes three or four weeks to prepare them and get them to sprout roots," he said.

One regular visitor to Uncle Sitt's plantation is Jessada Khunkaew, chief administrator at the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, Yala office.

"He comes from a family of farmers and helped his parents do the ploughing when he was just 5 years old," Jessada said. "He chose to stick to his roots and be a planter. He was determined to become a leader in agricultural development."

Uncle Sitt's engineering background has served him well over the years, Jessada added.

"He is a very good planner, and that accounts for the wonderful projects you see," he said.

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