In this lesson we follow the production of rice from harvest to final processing
Rice is grown in irrigated fields - paddy fields - sawah.
It takes approximately three months from planting to harvest
A good crop of rice will yield approximately 5 tonnes to the hectare.
Good sawah will be cropped on average three times a year.
Sometimes corn or vegetables are grown as a rotation crop.
As the rice ripens it attracts many birds and farmers use flags to try to scare the birds away from their precious crop.
Many workers harvest the rice.
It is hard work
The rice is cut by hand
The rice is thrashed to remove the grain
In Indonesian there are many words for rice, reflecting the stage of processing.
The word 'nasi' is only used to refer to cooked rice.
The rice straw is still green and is used for animal feed.
After harvest the rice is dried in the sun.
It is then processed at the rice mill to remove the outside husks and to polish the grain.
It is now sold ready for cooking.
