Modren Age

                         Machines of progress

                  A sea of newly harvested rice extends to the horizon in Battambang Province—the rice bowl of Cambodia. It was only the third week of February, just the beginning of the harvesting season for many Asian countries, but it seemed like harvest time was already over in Battambang.

                As we drove farther along the dry and dusty roads of the province, a combine harvester suddenly appeared on the horizon. It cut through the rice stalks almost as effortlessly as mowing a backyard lawn with an operator sitting on top of a lawn mower. This is a stark contrast to the traditional backbreaking and tedious harvesting process, in which farmers bend to gather and slash stalks using razor-sharp sickles. Some collect and tie the stalks while others thresh, by hitting the rice plant on a piece of wood. Then the farmers winnow the paddy and let the trash blow away from it. Farmers’ chats to let their minds drift away from the scorching sun and the harrowing labor have been replaced by the whirring sound of the machine making its way through the rice fields.

                The combine harvester, an iconic image of farming in progressive countries, is becoming the usual scene in Cambodia—a hint that labor shortage during harvest time is becoming a serious problem for Cambodian farmers.

          Man V Machines          Who is Smart?