At an ancient plowing ceremony on Wednesday, May 22, Cambodian Royal Oxen predicted a bountiful rice crop.

The annual ritual was led by the king himself, Norodom Siamoni. During the ritual, two oxen are given donations after plowing the field, this marks the beginning of the rice growing season in the country.

Dressed in richly decorated clothes and bright hats, the oxen ate 85% of the rice and beans offered and 90% of the corn served in decorated bowls - this, according to local beliefs, indicates a plentiful harvest.

Palace astrologers make their annual predictions depending on what kind of food the oxen will choose and on the amount of food that they will eat. “I pray ... for seasonal rain and normal weather,” said Brahman priest in traditional white robes at a ceremony in Takeo Province.

A good omen in Cambodia was particularly welcomed amid the fact that in January the European Union introduced tariffs on rice from Cambodia and Myanmar in an attempt to protect EU producers. Since then, Cambodia has seen an increase in rice exports to China.

The ceremony in Cambodia reflects similar traditions in neighboring Thailand and Myanmar, in which oxen ceremoniously plow the land and then choose food from bowls of rice, beans, corn water, grass, sesame seeds or alcohol.