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Cambodia to Have Plentiful Rice Harvest, Says Royal Oxen

Cambodia to Have Plentiful Rice Harvest, Says Royal Oxen

Cambodia’s royal oxen predicted a plentiful harvest of rice, the country’s biggest crop, at an ancient plowing ceremony on Wednesday. 

King Norodom Sihamoni presided over the televised annual ritual in which two oxen are given offerings after plowing a field, marking the start of the rice-growing season in the Southeast Asian country.

the annual ancient royal rite is conducted by Cambodia’s court Brahmins.

They lead the sacred oxen in three rounds of ceremonial ploughing after which the bovines are offered a choice of rice, corn, bean, sesame, grass, water, and rice wine.

Cambodia's royal oxen eat during a royal ploughing ceremony in Takeo province, Cambodia, May 22, 2019. Image: Reuters/Stringer
Cambodia's royal oxen eat during a royal ploughing ceremony in Takeo province, Cambodia, May 22, 2019. Image: Reuters/Stringer

Their decisions can be ominous or auspicious, and the amounts eaten also indicate what is in store for country in the year ahead.

A Brahmin priest announced that, “85 percent of rice were eaten, 90 percent of corns were eaten, and 85 percent of bean were eaten” by the oxen, which predicted a large increase in the harvest of these crops, as reported by VOA Cambodia.

“I pray ... for seasonal rain and regular weather,” Korng Ken, a Brahmin priest dressed in traditional white robes, said at the ceremony in Takeo province. 

He prayed that “Cambodia avoid any natural disasters that would destroy the agriculture harvests which are the lives of the people and country.”

The national ceremony, which is televised live, was in the past often held next to the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, but was this year staged in Takeo Province’s Daun Keo City on a football pitch prepared for the occasion.

Royal oxens eat corn and green beans at the end of a royal plowing ceremony at provincial town of Takhmau, Cambodia, Saturday, May 17, 2014. The ceremony marks the start of rice farming season. Image: AP Photo/Heng Sinith
Royal oxens eat corn and green beans at the end of a royal plowing ceremony at provincial town of Takhmau, Cambodia, Saturday, May 17, 2014. The ceremony marks the start of rice farming season. Image: AP Photo/Heng Sinith

The good omen will be welcomed in Cambodia after the European Union imposed tariffs in January on rice from Cambodia and Myanmar in a bid to protect EU producers. Cambodia has since seen a surge in rice exports to China. 

According to Reuters, Cambodia’s ceremony mirrors similar traditions in nearby Thailand and Myanmar in which oxen ceremonially plow the ground and then choose between eating bowls of rice, beans, corn water, grass, sesame seeds or alcohol. 

Thailand’s royal oxen predicted a good harvest at a plowing ceremony this month presided over by newly crowned King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his queen.

 

Indah Gilang Pusparani

Indah is a researcher at Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Daerah Kota Cirebon (Regional Development Planning and Research Agency of Cirebon Municipality). She covers More international relations, tourism, and startups in Southeast Asia region and beyond. Indah graduated from MSc Development Administration and Planning from University College London, United Kingdom in 2015. She finished bachelor degree from International Relations from University of Indonesia in 2014, with two exchange programs in Political Science at National University of Singapore and New Media in Journalism at Ball State University, USA. She was awarded Diplomacy Award at Harvard World Model United Nations and named as Indonesian Gifted Researcher by Australian National University. She is Researcher at Regional Planning Board in Cirebon, West Java. She previously worked as Editor in Bening Communication, the Commonwealth Parliament Association UK, and diplomacy consulting firm Best Delegate LLC in USA. Less
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