We've been busy at home in between daily chores and errands this past week. Also added to our schedule was last Friday, March 18's, rice harvest for the first crop this 2011 cropping calendar.
As I've said last week, the harvest commenced with the harvesters reaping the crops last Tuesday. Then it took 3 more days for the machine thresher's availability. Consider also that the farmer, Mang Juan, had to sleep at the fields for 3 nights to ward off robbers. Oh yes, there has been reports of those lately even in a sleepy baranggay like this.
That's me, I braved enough to go near the threshing machine at the field. Tell you, before this picture, I tripped when I took my first step toward the rice paddies!Ouch, a trip is a great trip if at first I trip! I've got a bad left foot, that's why :)
It's an arduous task of planting rice up to harvest, I realize. I salute these farmers for their patience from planting, cultivating, harvesting and also for drying the crops to make it worth much more. According to the rates, newly harvested rice grains are traded for 15.00/ kilo, on the other hand, when the same rice will be sundried, it will earn more as much as 17.00 kilo. Here below, are the workers shoveling the grains back to the sacks. My hubby helped until he felt the itch which is common in this job, whew!
This season's grains are of great quality this time unlike that of the previous season.
Total rice sacks filled were 87, one-fourth of which, went to us being representatives of the land owner. This season's harvest is by far the lowest despite having had no calamities that could have affected the crops. The farmers attribute the low yield due to the changing weather from humid to cold and back plus the lack of water and, for others, lack of appropriate . A close relative from the same town, in fact, lost 40% of his harvest this year from experimenting with a new kind of fertilizer that not only did not seem to work, but also decreased this year's yield.
The 2 days at the field were so far relaxing for me, away from the hustle and bustle of chores and blogging. Enjoyed the atmosphere, almost sleepy . Took flickr photos, watched egrets flying overhead what we call "tagak", went to and fro from palay-drying to the rice traders and back to the rice mill. Even if the yield is low, still smile, looking forward to next harvest season!
More pictures in this slideshow :)
