People gather blessed rice seeds after the Royal Ploughing Ceremony yesterday at Sanam Luang.

The ancient Brahmin ritual held at Sanam Luang ceremonial ground to provide an auspicious beginning to the rice-planting season was presided over by HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Permanent Secretary for Agri-culture and Cooperatives, Banphot Hongthong, who acted as "ploughing lord", was offered a choice of three lengths of cloth as part of the forecasting ritual, and selected the cloth that was six palm spans in length. From this selection, the royal astrologer forecast an abundance of rainfall this year and plentiful crops. Lowland rice would be bountiful, but highland crops would sustain some damage, he said.

From about 8.20am to 9am Banphot ploughed furrows in Sanam Luang with a special plough drawn by sacred white bulls. He was followed by four consecrated women carrying gold and silver baskets filled with rice seed, while Brahmin priests walked along chanting and blowing into conch shells. The oxen were offered a range of rice, maize, green beans, sesame seeds, alcohol, water and grass. The bulls selected the grass, which the royal astrologer interpreted as a further sign that the Kingdom would have abundant rain and crop yields.

The ritual ended at 9.40am and the crowds entered the ceremonial ground to collect the rice seeds.

The ceremony also marks Annual Agriculturists Day, when the ministry honours outstanding farmers. This year 14 were honoured. Masalae Salae from Pattani represented a group praised for effective use of irrigation. It was the first time in more than 40 years that an award went to Thai-Muslims.

Winning rice-grower, Thong-mor Jaemjaeng, of Suphan Buri, said he used bio-organic principles and micro-organisms.