Rice on the Highlands

Rice is the staple food of Southeast Asia. In Myanmar, the delta and flood plains of Ayeyarwady River, which crosses the whole stretch of the country, provide fertile and most suitable zones for rice production, making Myanmar one of the biggest producers of rice. Shan State, which is the mountainous region in Central Myanmar, is away from the flood plains. But this does not mean that they can not grow rice. Ethnic Shan villagers routinely inter-crop rice with their seasonal vegetables, painstakingly clearing the rice plots of weeds to ensure maximum yield. I love the sight of Shan ladies doing this part of the task.