According to the ancient royal traditions, the king is regarded as the Chief of Agriculture. His Majesty the King has conducted numerous royal functions to promote"and to develop rice cultivation. He revived the Royal Ploughing Ceremony in 1960 to bring about prosperity to the nation's crops and to preserve Thai cultural heritage. Certain functions in connection with the royal ceremony have been improved to suit the present. The Royal Ploughing Ceremony takes place every year and is presided over by His Majesty the King at the Sanam Luang ceremonial site in Bangkok. The Royal Ploughing Day is observed as Thailand's National Agricultural Day to boost the morale of Thai farmers who are regarded as the backbone of the country Royally-initiated projects relating to agriculture have been carried out in all parts of the country. His Majesty the King gives farmers advice on rice farming suitable for each climatic and geographical conditions. He helps ease problems concerning water such as water shortage, flooding and saline soil. He suggests that the Royal Irrigation Department enhance the efficiency of water distribution to cover all planting areas of the country