THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

High in the hills

High in the hills

The Royal Projects of Thailand’s north satisfy urban dwellers’ love of both tropical and temperate fruits and vegetables while generating a sustainable income for the hilltribes who grow them

THE FRUITS of the country’s northern highlands, some familiar, others less so, will be on sale in Bangkok next month as the Royal Project Market returns to Siam Paragon for its 2016 edition.
The produce, which includes portobello and lingzhi mushrooms, avocados, pears, mangoes, beans and rice, coffee and tea as well as processed foods and ready-to-drink fruit juices, bears witness to the success of the Royal Project Foundation’s extensive study, research and experimentation in bringing sustainable development for local people in each area.
Since 1969, when His Majesty the King’s Royal Project was launched to develop high-altitude, cold-climate crops and prevent slash-and-burn agriculture, deforestation and the cultivation of narcotic plants, the project has salvaged sizeable tracts of woodland that naturally generates water and nurtures the well-being of the hilltribes who call the northern highlands home. 
Today, there are 38 Royal Project Development Centres spread over Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Lamphun and Phayao provinces. Chiang Mai alone has more than 20 sites and these serve as living museums for anyone interested in learning about sustainable alternative living and how poverty can be alleviated. 
During a recent trip to the North, I was able to visit four of the projects in Chiang Mai. Some 150 kilometres from Muang district and 1,000 metres above sea level, Gae Noi Royal Project in Chiang Dao district grows a variety of leafy vegetables plus mango, red bean and highland rice.
Spread over an area of about 1,000 rai, the area is home to more than 1,000 Shan, Lahu and Chinese Yunnan families. Most of the products are grown organically with biological fermentation. Neem oil is used as a pesticide. 
“We grow the seedlings and distribute them to the hundreds of members of our project to control production and ensure effective management. Cabbage, Cos lettuce and mint are among the produce that earn each member about Bt40,000 a month. We have two separate plant nurseries – one for organic vegetables and the other for produce that meets the GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) standard. The packaging of the Royal Project’s products of these two practices is marked differently,” says project official Yongyuth Khampaeng.
The rainy season is a good period to grow two of the royal project’s most famous products –red kidney and azuki beans.
“His Majesty the King first visited here in 1980 and introduced the local people to the cultivation of the kidney bean. It is easy to plant and nurture, requiring just full sun exposure and well-drained soil. It’s a perfect crop for the long transportation from Gae Noi to Chiang Mai’s Muang district. Fresh vegetables tend to be too easily damaged,” he adds. 
“The first species of kidney beans were supported by the Agricultural Research Service of the US but now the royal project has developed its own species and distributed the plants to other development centres as a crucial step in weaning farmers from their traditional crop – opium.”
Four species of mango ripen during the rainy season and the Nuan Kham, Palmer, R2E2, and Irwin cultivars each boast a unique taste. Nuan Kham is outstanding for its large fruit, often reaching about one kilogram in weight, and can be eaten raw or ripe. Palmer mango, which originated in Florida, catches the eye thanks to its purple skin and firm orange-yellow flesh with a mild and aromatic flavour.
The R2E2 cultivar is oval shaped with a yellow skin tinged with a red blush and non-fibrous flesh while Irwin mango develops an eye-catching dark red blush at maturity and has a mild and sweet yellow flesh.
Located in the same district is Nong Khieo Royal Project, home to some 1,000 Lahu, Lua, Akha and Kachin families and a centre for avocado cultivation. Spread over 96 rai, the project has introduced the Buccanaer, Booth, Peterson, Hass and Pinkerton cultivars and these are being grown by 48 farmer members.
The avocado was introduced to farmers here in 1995 and today production levels total 60 tons a year. The fruit is available all year round and the two most productive varieties are the Buccanaer and Peterson. Unfortunately, global favourites, Hass and Pinkerton avocados, which have high-fat flesh and an almond-butter texture have only a small production level despite the high market demand. 
A popular tourist destination, the Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang in Fang district was the first research station and was established by the Royal Project in 1969. His Majesty spent his personal funds to set up this station to provide alternative sources of income for the villagers and they have responded by growing such temperate fruits as peach, Asian pear, kiwi and strawberry.
Standing 1,400 metres above sea level, this mountainous site – once covered with opium poppies – occupies a research area of 1,800 rai covering nine Shan, Lahu, Palong and Chinese Yunnan villages.
The agricultural station is tourist-friendly, with trams transporting visitors on tours of the bonsai garden, bamboo forest, flower gardens, plum and pear orchards and a flower garden that’s been transformed into an al-fresco coffee shop.
Right now the plums and pears are ready for picking. The kiwis and strawberries come into their own at the end of the year, which is also when the Japanese sakura bursts into flower. 
“A seven-rai plot is used to cultivate Asian pears of different varieties and these generally produce about three tons of fruits a year. Over the past years, the research centre has developed a new pear species from the Yokohama species of Taiwan. Today, the two most popular varieties are the SH-4029, which has a sweet taste and pleasant aroma and the SH-085, which has a brownish gold skin and firm flesh with a mild tangy undertone,” says the research station’s official Chairit Yutitham.
The highlight here is the organic tea plantation. Spread over 50 rai, the plantation is cared for by the Palong tribe – one rai for one family. The four main varieties are green tea, red tea, Yuanjue Oolong and Jinchain Oolong No 12, all of which are ideally suited to this climate.
Tea picking is an art in itself. Only a terminal bud and two young leaves are plucked by gentle hands to get the premium tea. Picking begins at 7am and continues until 2pm. The tea is usually harvested from April to December, allowing the bushes to recover during the remaining three months. Income generated is anywhere between Bt100,000 to Bt 300,000 a year for each family, with an average annual output of 40 tons.
Three kilometres from the Angkhang station is Khob Dong village, home to Lahu families who are the main producers of the Royal Project’s portobello mushroom. The species is of Australian origin and was introduced here just five years ago. There are currently 10 plant- thatched huts in which the mushrooms are grown and each produces some 200 kilograms every two months.
“The portobello mushroom requires a temperature of 10 to 20 Celsius and is relatively complicated to plant. The cap can measure from three to six inches in diameter and typically matures in November and December. So far, we have been able to produce about five to 10 kilograms a day and sell the mushrooms for Bt400/kg and also export them to Singapore. Thanks to its dense and meaty texture, it’s particularly popular grilled and used in a sandwich, or cut into thick slices for a salad or entree,” says the research station’s official Puripong Kawichai.
My last visit is to Teen Tok Royal Project in Mae On district where shiitake and lingzhi (ganoderma) mushrooms as well as Arabica coffee are cultivated. 
“We have about 100 members cultivating shiitake mushrooms and since April, we have started to promote the MT2 species of the lingzhi mushroom, which is high in polysaccharides and very much in demand by the market,” says the project’s official Narawuth Suthavass. 
“Lingzhi is almost a panacea and of significant medicinal value. So far we have three plant nurseries run by six farmers and we buy the fresh lingzhi from them for Bt300/kg. We expect to get at least 180 kg every six months.”
 
 
TRULY THAI
The Royal Project Market will be held at Siam Paragon from September 22 to 26, from 10 to 10. Call (02) 610 8000.
Gae Noi Royal Project, |call (053) 318 310.
Nong Khieo Royal Project, |call (053) 045 6000.
Teen Tok Royal Project, |call (053) 318 316.
The Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang, call (053) 969 489 or visit www.AngkhangStation.com.
Learn more about the Royal Project Foundation at www.RoyalProjectThailand.com.
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