Village Life - Getting Ready - Ploughing Time Photo and Text by Siri
Since the ancient man started planting crops, rice has been the most commonly used food grain for a majority of the peoples of the world. A member of the grass family, rice is grown successfully under climatic conditions ranging from tropical to temperate. Properly cultivated, rice produces higher yields than any other grain with the exception of wheat, and feeds a far greater proportion of the world's population. Growing rice is labor intensive, but in countries where rice is the staple food, labor is in plentiful supply. Before rice can be grown the field must be prepared. For this, in most countries, water buffalo is used to plough the flooded field. Once the soil is turned over and softened, a harrow is used to level the soil surface and make a smooth bed for rice seedlings to be planted and also to make water depth the same throughout the field.

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