Royal sacred white oxen being offered food during the Royal Ploughing Ceremony at the Royal Ground, Sanam Luang, near the Grand Palace in Bangkok yesterday. The ancient Brahmin rite is of great importance to the country's farmers. Thousands of farmers converge in Bangkok for the annual event, which is believed to assure a successful planting season and an abundance of crops. This year, the sacred oxen feasted on paddy, sesame seeds, water and liquor, which according to traditional soothsayers predicts that the country will have abundant food and sufficient water for agriculture, and that communication and foreign trade will improve.