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Rice ritual to be revived

Her Majesty the Queen will preside over a ceremony to revive a traditional ritual to pay respect to Mae Pho Sop, the goddess of rice, at a demonstration farm in Ang Thong province. The revival of the ritual will help boost the morale of rice farmers, who believe the goddess will bring prosperity to their fields. The ritual has not been performed for the past 47 years.

Agriculture Minister Somsak Prissanantakul said the ministry will hold a ritual to invite Mae Pho Sop back to the paddy fields on Aug 9 in the rice-growing province of Ang Thong.

His Majesty the King has given importance to rice, said the minister. When the country faced a rice crisis in 1961, the Khwan Khao, or rice blessing, ceremony was performed at Chitralada Palace, he said.

The revival of the ritual would raise awareness about the importance of rice, he added.

Bangkok Post