Pairing CSi and Krayasart: a #thaiRAIN success story
Innovation forum paired with Thai tradition
In Thailand and neighboring countries, the Festival of the 10th Lunar Month holds a special place in local traditions. It is a time when people pay homage to their ancestors with the season’s first harvest, a tradition that dates back hundreds of years.
Among the foods prepared during this festival is Krayasart, a Thai-style cereal bar made primarily from rice.
In September, #thaiRAIN collaborated with the Ban Yang Municipality to revive the Krayasart Festival. The event took place in a sub-district of the Saohai District, Saraburi Province, home to more than 6,000 rice farmers and widely recognized for its unique rice varieties.
#thaiRAIN organized three main activities for the festival: A CSi (climate-smart innovations) Expo; panel discussions on the cultural and business aspects of Krayasart; and a Krayasart contest attended by schools and colleges from the Saraburi, Ayutthaya and Lopburi Provinces. These activities effectively combined culture, agriculture and business.
Showcasing #thaiRAIN and CSi to local communities
The evening of September 14 was filled with delight and pride for Ban Yang’s villagers, who witnessed the festival’s revival after a seven-year hiatus.
Krayasart makers and villagers wore colorful traditional silk costumes and demonstrated traditional snack-making in large bronze woks before the main stage, which featured USDA and Winrock brand visibility.
On the opposite side of the Krayasart makers was the CSi Expo, organized by #thaiRAIN, showcasing climate-smart innovations suitable for the local rice-growing community. Ten #thaiRAIN-selected exhibitors featured farm innovations that addressed various climate-smart aspects. For weather-related innovations, the Dragonfly weather forecast application by the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency and the Fah Fon weather station by CPS Agri were presented. For soil quality improvement, #thaiRAIN partners showcased products like the DIY KU Soil Test Kit by Eco Agro, microbial solutions by Asia Oil and Herb and BIOM, and the controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer (Productivity Plus). Additionally, three drone service providers attended: Tiger Drone by HG Robotics Co., Aero Drone by Aero Group (1992) Co., and NacDrone by Easy (2018) Co.
Sixty-six rice farmers from five collaborative farms near Ban Yang Municipality visited the Expo and became familiar with #thaiRAIN and USDA. Some expressed interest in Soil Digest, drones, and CRN to cut costs and improve yields. “I’m particularly interested in drone technology. This helps reduce costs and risks of chemical exposure,” said Panthong Singkaew, President of the Saohai Farmer Cooperative Group, representing over 500 rice farmers. Some exhibitors were already planning follow-up marketing activities based on contacts from the event.
Kelly Stange, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Counselor for Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, presided over the event’s opening, observed Krayasart makers cooking, and attended presentations at each CSi booth. She was warmly greeted by the villagers, showing how #thaiRAIN and USDA cultivated familiarity and a positive reputation among the local communities. Stange’s opening remarks reflected the goodwill of the event:
“Thailand’s agriculture is so rich, and we want to support Thai farmers in their growth. The USDA Thailand Regional Agricultural Innovation Network or RAIN project is here to work with Thai farmers and innovators.”
“Thailand’s agriculture is so rich, and we want to support Thai farmers in their growth.”
– Kelly Stange, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Counselor for Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos
Business development opportunity for youth
#thaiRAIN helped Ban Yang Municipality organize a creative Krayasart contest for educational institutions in Saraburi and nearby provinces. The contest aimed to foster teamwork, develop business acumen, and encourage creativity among the youth.
The contest drew seven teams from four educational institutions across the three provinces. Each team presented their Krayasart in a comprehensive manner, showcasing both unique flavors and marketing elements such as pricing, packaging and presentation.
Tuenjai Kampaengsirichai, Ban Yang Municipality Clerk, mentioned that the event not only boosted Krayasart sales and the overall economy in the Ban Yang area but also inspired Krayasart makers to consider enhancing their products’ market appeal.
“The Krayasart contest, where students showcased their creativity, motivated local makers to think about how they could improve their product’s taste, packaging and presentation,” she said.
While the Krayasart Fair delighted locals of all ages with cultural and entertaining activities, the important message that #thaiRAIN conveyed to this local rice-growing community was that innovation is inevitable — and it can be fun.
“The Krayasart contest, in which students showcased creativities, motivated makers in the municipality to consider how they could improve their product’s taste, packaging, and presentation.”
– Tuenjai Kampaengsirichai, Bang Yang Municipality Clerk
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