Witness to the World we Live in

These photos capture the different stages rice goes though from the planting in the water paddies to harvesting the rice for market. In most countries rice is their life blood and when I took these photos I was looking to showcase  the process that half the population of the world go through to get their daily nourishment.  Rice can be grown practically anywhere; most farmers grow rice in water paddies because rice is tolerant to water and the water in the paddies prevents weeds from overtaking the seedlings. Over the four months that the rice matures, the paddies change from green to golden yellow to the color of dry straw. When the seedlings reach near maturity, about 30 days after the plant has flowered the stalks are three feet tall and the grains of rice dangle in their husks. At this point the plants are cut half way up their stems. The harvested grains are then threshed to separate the grain from the stalk and the enclosing husk, this is usually done by bashing bundles of rice stems on a stone or other hard surface, or by shaking or tossing the rice on meshed wire. The grain then falls onto a mat and the husk, chaff and dust are carried away by the wind. The grain is then dried in the sun, until it is ready for hulling or transport to the mill. A typical acre of rice will produce 8,000 lbs of rice 3-4 times a year. But remember rice is life for half the population in the world, 680 million tons are consumed every year and with the increase in population in the world and the decrease of land used for growing rice the need for better ways to grow rice is needed ASAP.

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