Puparn Royal Development Study Centre

The Puparn Royal Development Study Centre was founded on November 25, 1982, at Ban Na Nok Khao, Huai Yang Subdistrict, Muang District, Sakon Nakhon Province. The Northeastern part of Thailand always faces the problems of soil deterioration, water shortage, forest encroachment in order to make a living, causing the destruction of the ecological system, as well as the lack of technical knowledge on agriculture. The Centre, therefore, focuses attention on conducting study and research on various aspects of agricultural development including development of forestry through irrigation system and cultivation of economic crops which can increase the farmers' income. The Centre also promotes animal husbandry such as Meishan pig farming and local poultry farming, and integrated fish raising. The Royal Irrigation Department is responsible for coordination in the area.

1 To study and experiment on appropriate agricultural techniques as models for farmers to use and apply for their own livelihood.

2 To restore, conserve and develop forestry through the use of simple irrigation systems.

3 To cultivate economic crops and to process agricultural produce for agro-industry.

4 To promote occupational development to enable the farmers to have a steady income to support their family.

The overall management of the projects implementation in the Centre is under the responsibility of the Royal Irrigation Department.

Since its establishment in 1982, the Puparn Royal Development Study Centre has achieved its experimentation in finding good varieties of rice suitable for the conditions of the area and popular among farmers. The cultivation of para rubber has also been experimented to the point that it can provide as high yields as in the South which is well-known as the land of para rubber. Moreover, it has been successful in increasing production yields of various crops such as soybean, legume, maize and vegetables. Vetiver grass has shown satisfactory performance in preventing soil erosion and increasing topsoil.

Concerning the extension work, the Centre has succeeded in disseminating the principles of the New Theory, which enable the small-scale farmers to have enough agricultural production for year-round consumption and eventually become self-reliant. In addition, team work has been promoted among farmers to urge them to work closely and systematically under one same Master Plan which will help increase effectiveness of task implementation. Lastly, with its emphasis on the development of human resources, the Centre has organized several training courses for farmers to equip them with the basic knowledge necessary for making a livelihood.