Improved varieties of rice, which appear to be universally
regarded as superior to traditional varieties,
were introduced for the first time in 2001 and have resulted
in significantly higher yields. The pump irrigation
projects that permit double cropping of rice have also
been a boon to beneficiary households. The first rotavators
were introduced in the late 1980s, numbers
expanding rapidly some 6–7 years ago to the extent that
rotavators have now almost entirely replaced buffaloes
as the preferred method of land preparation. Not only is
ploughing mechanically easier and quicker, but it is also
said to be better. The opening of a branch of the Agricultural
Promotion Bank (Thanakaan Songserm Katsakham
or Thor Sor Kor) in the local district town in
1999 also expanded opportunities for farmers to access
credit to finance farm investments. In toto in the Sang
Thong villages we see agriculture and farming being
progressively modernised over time. For those households
with land, agriculture offered considerable scope
for increases in productivity––and income. We see here,
then, the possibility that agricultural investments may
actually re-focus economy and livelihoods on the village
and its fields.