FEATURED PAINTING

Before these women began their backbreaking mission of planting rice seedling in the paddy, the mud dikes with interlocking channels were released to flood the fields. The swamped ground was plowed into a smooth sloppy mixture with the help of oxen powered plows. If the 7 inch seedlings survive the usual adversities, they will be ready to harvest in 3 to 4 months. Some of the rice will be sold as cash crops to nearby regions. Asia produces more than 75% of rice while African nations produce less than 4% collectively. Although more than 540 million tons of rice are produced annually, only 5% of that is traded internationally. No other food crop is depended on by more people, and yet still there is a serious shortage of rice to feed some parts of the world.