Friday January 26, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. – Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University and the official departments under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives held the opening ceremony of the 2024 Isan Agricultural Fair. Mr. Boonsing Warinrak, Advisor to the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, presided over the ceremony with Mr. Jirasak Seehamat, Khon Kaen Vice Governor; Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University; and the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture. The ceremony was held at Jataramuk Exhibition Building, Agricultural Technology Park, Khon Kaen University, where a lot of lecturers, students and the public attended.
Assoc. Prof. Charnchai Panthongviriyakul, M.D., President of Khon Kaen University said that the 2024 Isan Agricultural Fair is scheduled for 10 days from Friday January 26 until Sunday February 4, 2024, at the Agricultural Technology Park, Khon Kaen University. The fair is the collaboration of the Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen Provinces, departments affiliated to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and other network governmental and private organizations, totaling over 40 organizations.
This year is the 32nd year of the fair and is under the theme, “Isan Agriculture, creating international innovations and values”. It is aimed at disseminating and transferring the agricultural knowledge and technology to the community and is also celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Faculty of Agriculture and Khon Kaen University. There were over 560,000 people coming to the last-year fair, or an average of 56,000 people each day, with the circulation of 500-600 million baht, which is expected to be more this year.
“The Isan Agricultural Fair is a big event of Khon Kaen University that helps stimulate the provincial economy, especially in the agricultural sector. The emphasis is on selling farm products obtained from the practical works of the students of the Faculty of Agriculture and of the farmers in the area.”
Mr. Boonsing Warinrak, Advisor to the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives said that he appreciated the collaboration of different departments and organizations, which see the importance of the objectives and have cooperated in organizing the fair continuously for 32 years now. This shows good integration of work that encourages all sectors to see the importance of the agricultural occupation and promotes the farmer and entrepreneur institution and sustainable agriculture.
Assoc. Prof. Panupon Hongpakdee, Vice Dean for Research, Innovation and International Affairs of the Faculty of Agriculture revealed about the 60th Agricultural Exhibition of KKU that is held at the area of the Jaturamuk Building. This exhibition presents the path from the beginning of the Faculty of Agriculture, which is the first faculty of Khon Kaen University. Notable works have been selected to exhibit from the 8 majors, namely, Entomology, Plant Pathology, Soil Science and the Environment, Horticulture, Agronomy, Agricultural Promotion and Development, Agricultural Economics, Fishery and Animal Science.
“The exhibited works include research work and innovations, outstanding bodies of knowledge that can be put into use, such as exhibitions from the Horticulture and Agronomy programs (presentation of KKU 60 and KKU 61 rice cultivars, mutated cassava, showing of flower plants, fruit plants, plant management, high-value plant watering by means of precise Application, lighting technology to accelerate out-of-season flowering, mutated vegetables and plants such as bushy hot chili (which were presented to HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn), tissue culture of Thai ginseng and galingale to obtain a big number of plants that are free of diseases and are as strong as the mother plant. The Animal Science program is exhibiting indigenous chicken such as KKU 1 or 3-low chicken (low-uric, low-fat, and low cholesterol), the meat of which is soft and delicious. There are presentations of animal feeds derived from local herbs. The change of formula leads to reduction of cost and when the animal eat the feed, the excretion contains less methane gas and so reducing methane release from livestock industry. In addition, there is exhibition of plant protection using microorganism to kill pathogens in plants, leading to safe produce and reduction of chemicals. The exhibitions are therefore useful for farmers and those interested. Besides obtaining knowledge, learning about technology and innovations will lead to new ideas that can be used to develop household farming as well as industrial agriculture.”
In addition, there are a lot of activities at the fair, including forums, workshops in farming, competitions of local wisdom, answering agricultural-related questions, scheduled on January 28; the 25th Agricultural Conference on January 29; show of beautiful fish, eel catching contest, different animal contests and agricultural innovation exhibitions by the Department of Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Development and Research Office Area 3, Department of Agriculture, Department of Rice, Department of Livestock, and Department of Land Development.
Visitors will also be able to see the Thai indigenous buffalo contest, contest of cocks from the indigenous chicken raising club, cow catching contest, ‘lab’ cooking contest. Touring around the area is also available by students with visits to KKU Smart Flower Farm where one can see plots of cutters, small sunflowers and cosmos.
Moreover, there are exhibitions of community products from all over the country (OTOP), selling good products from 20 Isan provinces, exhibitions of technology and innovation of the progress of farm machinery, both the small and large sizes, exhibition of plant cultivars and animal breeds, selling of rare plants, the 11th Isan folk music contest, and the 5th Aggie Music contest and a lot more.
News: Rawiporn Saisaenthong
