The event, entitled the Phuket Provincial Thai Water Buffalo Exhibition, was aimed at focusing attention upon, and encouraging propagation of the unique Thai water buffalo species.
Somchai Sakulchit, the Council chairman, said the show will aid in creating “a network of Thai water buffalo ranchers and promote agricultural tourism in the province”.
Awards were presented to winners in six categories, including best stud bull and best stud cow. Winners took home B4,000; runners-up, B3,000; third place, B2,000; and fourth place, B1,500.
“Those who entered animals in this exhibition will take away from it greater knowledge and an enhanced outlook,” Somchai said. “They will know better how to breed quality Thai water buffaloes. Moreover, as few of these animals are left in Phuket, they will be encouraged to preserve the species.”
Somchai said the numbers of Thai water buffalo were dwindling in Phuket because “tourism has taken over the ranch lands”.
Silatop Kimsengtan, of the Phuket Provincial Buffalo Ranchers Co-Ordinating Centre, said, “Rather more than 900 buffalo exist in Phuket, the greatest number in Tambon Thepkrasattri. People raise them for meat, exhibition, to preserve the species, and for tourism – say, for tourist rides, and buffalo carts, and shows of buffaloes at work.”
Mr Silatop added that ranchers in Phuket receive little support from government agencies. “The government sees Phuket as purely a tourism venue, so they don’t encourage raising of buffaloes,” he explained.
“They don’t provide ranchers here with information on selecting breeds, medicines, mineral-enriched feeds, or knowledge of in-vitro fertilisation.”
Phuket MP Rewat Areerob presided over the event, sat on a buffalo for pictures, and presented awards to the various winners in each category.
The event was organised jointly by the Council and the Srisunthorn municipality, with sponsorship from the Provincial Agricultural Office and the Phuket Office of Agriculture and Co-Operatives. - Source: Siang Tai