The rainy season is a good period to grow two of the royal project’s most famous products –red kidney and azuki beans.
“His Majesty the King first visited here in 1980 and introduced the local people to the cultivation of the kidney bean. It is easy to plant and nurture, requiring just full sun exposure and well-drained soil. It’s a perfect crop for the long transportation from Gae Noi to Chiang Mai’s Muang district. Fresh vegetables tend to be too easily damaged,” he adds.
“The first species of kidney beans were supported by the Agricultural Research Service of the US but now the royal project has developed its own species and distributed the plants to other development centres as a crucial step in weaning farmers from their traditional crop – opium.”