Prince Sithiporn Kridakara (April 11, 1883 – June 22, 1971) is known as
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
's ''Farmer Prince''
who was awarded the 1967
Ramon Magsaysay Award for
Public service
A public service is any service intended to address specific needs pertaining to the aggregate members of a community. Public services are available to people within a government jurisdiction as provided directly through public sector agencies ...
for his efforts in the development of Thai
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
. While serving as chairman of the
International Rice Commission, he was instrumental for the establishment of the
International Rice Research Institute
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an international agricultural research and training organization with its headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, in the Philippines, and offices in seventeen countries. IRRI is known for its wor ...
in
Los Baños, Laguna in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
Personal life
Sithiporn was born on April 11, 1883, and studied in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
for most of his early years. At 18, while studying
mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, an ...
at City and Guild's Technical College, he was summoned back to his home country to help manage the family's lime-burning business.
At 21, he married a woman who soon died but not without bearing a son. His second wife was Mom Sriphromma, daughter of the last hereditary chief of Nan. Despite his royal blood as fourth son of His Royal Highness Krida Bhinihan, the Prince Naretraworit, grandson of King Mongkut, and nephew of King Chulalongkorn, he developed a profound interest in agriculture.
This interest came about due to his wife's fragile health which required the fresh air and open spaces of the countryside.
Career and legacy
Sithiporn successfully propagated the
Nicholson Yellow Dent variety of
corn which he encouraged other farmers to plant for animal feed. Starting 1950 when rice was not favorable to land conditions, corn was planted instead. By the 1980s, corn became one of Thailand's major exports.
He was also instrumental in the establishment of an egg producers' association which made Thailand an exporter of eggs.
When the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) established the
International Rice Commission in 1949, Sithiporn was elected as chairman. His suggestion for a research center for rice production during one of the meetings with the
Rockefeller Foundation resulted in the establishment of the
International Rice Research Institute
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an international agricultural research and training organization with its headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna, in the Philippines, and offices in seventeen countries. IRRI is known for its wor ...
in
Los Baños, Laguna in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
Honors and awards
*
Ramon Magsaysay Award, 1967 for Public Service
* Honorary Doctorate in Agriculture,
Kasetsart University
Kasetsart University ( th, มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์; ), commonly known and referred to as Kaset or KU, is a public research university in Bangkok, Thailand. It is the largest university in Thailand. It ...
* Honorary member of the
Siam Society
The Siam Society Under Royal Patronage ( th, สยามสมาคมในพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์) was established in 1904 with a mission to promote knowledge of the culture, history, arts, and natural sciences of Thai ...
* 1983 Birth Centenary Thai postage stamp
* First Prize for rice at the 1933 World Seed and Grain Exhibition in Regina, Canada
References
External links
Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kridakara, Sithiporn
Sithiporn Kridakara
Sithiporn Kridakara
Ramon Magsaysay Award winners
Sithiporn Kridakara
1883 births
1971 deaths
Sithiporn Kridakara
Sithiporn Kridakara
Sithiporn Kridakara
Sithiporn Kridakara
19th-century Chakri dynasty
20th-century Chakri dynasty