Oxen Predict Prosperity

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Khmer Times/Sum Manet

The traditional royal ploughing ceremony, which marks the beginning of the farming season in Cambodia, was presided over by His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni yesterday in Siem Reap province, home to the UNESCO recognized Angkor Archeological Complex,. Despite this year’s so far drought and El-Nino-affected agricultural crop, the ceremony predicted prosperous yields were on their way. During the procession, Royal oxen ploughed a ceremonial field three times before being offered seven plates of a variety of agricultural products: rice, corn, green beans, sesame, water, fresh-cut grass and wine.

The oxen ate 90 percent of the rice, 90 percent of the corn and 95 percent of the beans, forecasting that those crops would have prosperous yields this year. The sesame, grass, water and white wine were less appealing to the oxen, a good sign for Cambodia’s coming season—the large-scale consumption of grass and wine by the animals is a harbinger for the coming spread of epidemics among livestock, while excessive drinking of water is a sign that floods will plague the Kingdom.

Despite the predictions at yesterday’s ceremony, the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology predicted earlier in the year that the dry season would extend into late July or early August, whereas it is usually ending about this time of year.

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