TRAVEL | royal project
Welcome to Thai Av cado Season The future of local green fruit worth keeping an eye on by Fha Kanch
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t was in the year 1969 when His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great (Rama IX) visited Doi Pui village near Bhubing Palace in Chiang Mai. The trip was to observe the villagers’ lifestyle and well being, however, he saw how these people were struggling with poverty. With their main source of income coming from cultivating and growing opium even though picking and selling local peaches could earn just as much income. His Majesty then 34 | JUL/AUG 2019
began a project to better the villagers’ well being by supporting Kasetsart University to conduct researches to grow and continue to nurture temperate fruit crops suitable for Thailand’s climate and geography. The project grew and continued to become the Royal Project Foundation today. While the initial objectives were to help tribal community cut down on the destruction of natural resources such as deforestation and water/river
sources, the project also expanded to eliminate opium plantation and conserve the soil to make more efficient land use. Multiple organisations and volunteers including academics joined forces to develop the plan with great progress, farmers eventually and effectively replace opium crops with various kinds of vegetation that earn them a more sustainable living. Royal Project Market aims to offer product satisfaction and bangkok101.com
