According to His Majesty’s model, 30 percent of the farmer’s land should be used for growing rice, 30 percent for growing vegetables and fruit, and 30 percent as a pond; the remaining 10 percent should be devoted to the farmer’s home and to other uses. Of course, the appropriate portion may vary from location to location depending on geo-conditions.
The second stage: Once farmers can support themselves, then they should pursue their development by working together as a cooperative as well as by expanding their production processes and commercial activities to a more advanced stage.
The third stage: For developed communities, further expansion of the production process and commerce such as cooperative stores or rice-milling factories can rely on cooperation from commercial banks or oil companies* to improve the farmers’ livelihoods.
How successful have these diversified farming techniques or the New Theory of Agriculture been? From anecdotal evidence around the country, for rural communities and families that have adopted Sufficiency Economy Philosophy as their guiding principle, the experiences have been quite positive.