The wet season has really arrived with the recent heavy falls of rain after a bit of a false start a month or so ago. Some farmers planted out their rice crop after those early falls, only to see their crops falter without followup rain. Others, like this fellow, waited a bit longer ….now they have to hope that the rainy season is not too short for their crops to reach maturity.

This is the old, traditional method of growing the young rice densely in a nursery paddy, which can be kept well watered, then transplanting them out into the main paddies when the rains arrive. Around here most of the farmers who planted early used the more modern method of seeding and growing in the one field … more economical with the seed, also quicker and less labour intensive, but riskier with the weather as they found out this year.

How many thousands of rice stalks will this guy transplant ? rather him than me …..