Royal cows predict poor harvest in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH - Cambodia's royal cows signaled a drought and poor harvests in an ancient ceremony Saturday to mark the beginning of the kingdom's planting season.

King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen joined thousands of Cambodians for the annual ceremony as royal astrologers fed the cows seven dishes -- rice, corn, beans, sesame, grass, water and rice wine -- laid out on trays.

Hun Sen, who rebuked royal astrologers for failing to predict the deadly floods in 2001 that claimed 59 lives, said he was hopeful that the kingdom would be blessed with good harvests.

"We hope all spirits will help Cambodian farmers to get good agricultural production," the prime minister said at the start of the traditional ceremony held at a park near Phnom Penh's Royal Palace.

But the cows only ate corn, meaning Cambodia, one of the world's poorest nations struggling after three decades of civil war, could suffer this year.

"The royal cows ate only 45 percent of the corn, which means Cambodia could suffer a severe drought and bad harvests," chief astrologer Kang Ken told onlookers.

Cambodia frequently suffers from drought and flooding, threatening the livelihoods of millions in the impoverished nation.

While still taken seriously by many rural Cambodians, the ploughing ceremony predictions have been called into question in recent years. AFP