Farmers remove weeds growing alongside with ride stalks at a ricefield in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro in Philippines, August 27, 2018. Picture taken August 27, 2018. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

A farmer rides on a bicycle past a ricefield in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro in Philippines, August 27, 2018. Picture taken August 27, 2018. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

Unripe palay stalks are seen at a ricefield in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro in Philippines, August 27, 2018. Picture taken August 27, 2018. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

Farmers remove weeds growing alongside with ride stalks at a ricefield in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro in Philippines, August 27, 2018. Picture taken August 27, 2018. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

A farmer removes weeds growing alongside with ride stalks at a ricefield in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro in Philippines, August 27, 2018. Picture taken August 27, 2018. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

Unripe palay stalks are seen at a ricefield in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro in Philippines, August 27, 2018. Picture taken August 27, 2018. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

Farmers ride on a motorcycle past a ricefield in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro in Philippines, August 27, 2018. Picture taken August 27, 2018. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

Farmers work in a ricefield overlooking nickel-ore mines ordered closed by Environment secretary Regina Lopez in the mining town of Sta Cruz, Zambales in northern Philippines February 8, 2017. Picture taken February 8, 2017. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

Flooded ricefields are pictured after heavy rains and strong winds brought by Typhoon Nock-ten battered Camarines sur, central Philippines December 27, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

A farmer removes stalks from newly harvested palay grains at a ricefield in Mogpog, Marinduque, in central Philippines March 22, 2016. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

A farmer threshes newly harvested palay grains at a ricefield in Mogpog, Marinduque, in central Philippines March 22, 2016. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

A farmer removes stalks from newly harvested palay grains at a ricefield in Mogpog, Marinduque, in central Philippines March 22, 2016. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

Penitents wearing masks and centurion garb, known locally as "Morions", walk past ricefields during Holy Week celebrations in Mogpog, Marinduque in central Philippines March 22, 2016. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

A farmer harvests crops in a ricefield in Pulilan, Bulacan province March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

Farmers harvests crops in a ricefield in Pulilan, Bulacan province March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

A farmer harvests crops in a ricefield in Pulilan, Bulacan province March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

Workers pack paddy rice into sacks after threshing in a ricefield in San Ildefonso, Bulacan province March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

A farmer harvests crops in a ricefield in Pulilan, Bulacan province March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

A worker separate paddy rice after in a ricefield in San Ildefonso, Bulacan province March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

Workers threshes crops in a ricefield in San Ildefonso, Bulacan province March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

A worker carries harvested crops in a ricefield in San Ildefonso, Bulacan province March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

Motorists drive their vehicles along an expressway beside a ricefield submerged by floodwaters in San Simon, Pampanga in northern Philippines October 29, 2015, more than one week after the province was hit by Typhoon Koppu. Authorities and aid workers in the Philippines are assessing losses and providing assistance for survivors of Typhoon Koppu, which killed 58 people and caused 8.6 billion pesos ($185 million) of damage to farms and fisheries. The Department of Agriculture reported Typhoon Koppu, known locally as Lando, damaged more than 330,000 hectares (815,000 acres) of farmland, destroying 510,000 tonnes of crops, including 464,000 tonnes of rice. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

An advertising billboard is seen overlooking a ricefield submerged by floodwaters in San Simon, Pampanga in northern Philippines October 29, 2015, more than one week after the province was hit by Typhoon Koppu. Authorities and aid workers in the Philippines are assessing losses and providing assistance for survivors of Typhoon Koppu, which killed 58 people and caused 8.6 billion pesos ($185 million) of damage to farms and fisheries. The Department of Agriculture reported Typhoon Koppu, known locally as Lando, damaged more than 330,000 hectares (815,000 acres) of farmland, destroying 510,000 tonnes of crops, including 464,000 tonnes of rice. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

A farmer wades on a ricefield submerged by floodwaters in San Simon, Pampanga in northern Philippines October 29, 2015, more than one week after the province was hit by Typhoon Koppu. Authorities and aid workers in the Philippines are assessing losses and providing assistance for survivors of Typhoon Koppu, which killed 58 people and caused 8.6 billion pesos ($185 million) of damage to farms and fisheries. The Department of Agriculture reported Typhoon Koppu, known locally as Lando, damaged more than 330,000 hectares (815,000 acres) of farmland, destroying 510,000 tonnes of crops, including 464,000 tonnes of rice. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

A farmer steers a banca in a ricefield submerged by floodwaters in San Simon, Pampanga in northern Philippines October 29, 2015, more than week after the province was hit by Typhoon Koppu. Authorities and aid workers in the Philippines are assessing losses and providing assistance for survivors of Typhoon Koppu, which killed 58 people and caused 8.6 billion pesos ($185 million) of damage to farms and fisheries. The Department of Agriculture reported Typhoon Koppu, known locally as Lando, damaged more than 330,000 hectares (815,000 acres) of farmland, destroying 510,000 tonnes of crops, including 464,000 tonnes of rice. REUTERS/Erik De Castro

Villagers carry a coffin as they walk past a ricefield towards a funeral service during a funeral march in Escribano town, San Juan Batangas, south of Manila July 13, 2013. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco (PHILIPPINES - Tags: AGRICULTURE SOCIETY)

Visiting U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (C) talks to U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney (L) after harvesting rice in an experimental ricefield inside the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos, Laguna province, south of Manila October 25, 2009. Vilsack arrived in the capital on Saturday night for a four-day U.S. Trade and Investment Mission (TIM) geared towards strengthening further trade and investment ties between the Philippines and the United States. At right is Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco (PHILIPPINES POLITICS ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE BUSINESS)

Farmers plough a ricefield with carabao a week after Typhoon Fengshen hit the area in Alcantara town, Romblon province, June 28, 2008. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco (PHILIPPINES)

A man resumes planting rice on a ricefield in Alcantara town, Romblon province, central Philippines, June 28, 2008, a week after the Typhoon Fengshen hit the province. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco (PHILIPPINES)

Villagers resume planting rice on a ricefield near a house which collapsed during Typhoon Fengshen in Alcantara town, Romblon province, central Philippines, June 28, 2008, a week after the typhoon hit the province. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco (PHILIPPINES)

Villagers resume planting rice on a ricefield in Alcantara town, Romblon province, central Philippines, June 28, 2008, a week after Typhoon Fengshen hit the province. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco (PHILIPPINES)

Villagers resume planting rice on a ricefield in Alcantara town, Romblon province, central Philippines, June 28, 2008, a week after Typhoon Fengshen hit the province. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco (PHILIPPINES)

A man resumes planting rice on a ricefield in Alcantara town, Romblon province, central Philippines, June 28, 2008, a week after Typhoon Fengshen hit the province. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco (PHILIPPINES)

An armed prison guard closely watches prisoners working in the ricefields near Iwahig Penal Farm in Palawan, Western Philippines January 19, 2004. The Philippine Supreme Court is weighing to stay the execution of two death convicts on Friday. Picture taken January 19. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco RR/FA

Chinese boys jump from sandbags to swim on flooded ricefields after an
enbankment burst at Dongting Lake in Yueyang in China's southern
province of Hunan August 23, 2002. Tens of thousands of people are
being evacuated from around China's swollen Dongting Lake as it
threatens to engulf millions, but officials see signs of winning the
battle against time. REUTERS/Claro Cortes Iv

CC/CP

Filipino villagers cast their fishing rods on a flooded rice field in
northern Pampanga province north of Manila July 8, 2002. The death toll
in the Philippines after typhoon Chata'an rose to 15, including three
South Korean tourists who drowned when their boat capsised, disasters
officials said on Monday. REUTERS/Erik de Castro

EDC/JS

Villager Chin Kaitong, 64, milks the venom from a snake to educate visiting tourists of the dangers of some Thai reptiles found in nearby ricefields, at a small zoo in the northern Thai town of Chainat June 15. Many snakes in rural Thailand are venomous and can kill a human with their potent venom. Folks in some villages such as Chainat make a relatively lucrative sum from catching the snakes in their rices fields, selling them for up to US$12 which are considered by some a delicacy.

JIR/DL

A dog makes his way through a ricefield in front of Guinobatan mountain which is blanketed with ash after the Mayon volcano repeatedly erupted February 29. Mayon volcano shrouded distant towns with ash, knocking out power supplies and forcing thousands of villagers to flee their homes.

EDC/TAN

A Filipino farmer uses a small flame thrower to force rats to come out of their burrows in the Santa Rosa ricefield town of Nueva Ecija, north of Manila February 3. The rats have damaged more than 20% of the 80,000 hectares ricefields in Nueva Ecija. The government has launched a rat control campaign to prod farmers and residents of Santa Rosa to kill and catch the pests in exchange for cash.

Filipino farm boy Dave Salvacion shows his catch of rats from the ricefields of the Santa Rosa town of Nueva Ecija, north of Manila February 3. The government has launched a rat control campaign, prodding the farmers and residents of Santa Rosa to catch rats in exchange for cash. The rat infestation has alarmed government agriculturists for having destroyed more than 20% of the 80,000 hectares of rice fields.

Filipino farms boys search for rats while holding their catch a ricefield of the Santa Rosa town Nueva Ecija, north of Manila February 3. The government has launched a rat control campaign, prodding the farmers and residents of Santa Rosa to catch rats in exchange for cash. Rat infestation has destroyed more than 20% of the 80,000 hectares of rice fields.

RR/PB

Government Agriculturist Teresitas Nabio count the number of rat tails submitted to her, from rats captured from the ricefields of Santa Rosa town in Nueva Ecija, north of Manila February 3. The government has launched a rat control campaign, prodding farmers and residents of Santa Rosa to capture the pests ad have their tails exchanged for money. The government pays 50 centavos for each rat tail.The rat infestation has damaged more than 20% of the 80,000 hectares of ricefields in Nueva Ecija, considered one of the country's rice bowl.

RR

A Filipino farmer uses a small flame thrower to force rats to come out of their burrows in the Santa Rosa ricefield town of Nueva Ecija, north of Manila February 3. The rats have damaged more than 20% of the 80,000 hectares ricefields in Nueva Ecija. The government has launched a rat control campaign to prod farmers and residents of Santa Rosa to kill and catch the pests in exchange for cash.

RR/PB

Filipino farm boy Dave Salvacion shows his catch of rats from the ricefields of the Santa Rosa town of Nueva Ecija, north of Manila February 3. The government has launched a rat control campaign, prodding the farmers and residents of Santa Rosa to catch rats in exchange for cash. The rat infestation has alarmed government agriculturists for having destroyed more than 20% of the 80,000 hectares of rice fields.

RR/PB

FOR RELEASE WITH STORY BC-THAILAND-MYANMAR-WORKERS - Thai farmers and Myanmar labour work the ricefields near the Thai town of Maesot, bordering Myanmar. Thousands of tonnes of rotting fruit and flowers and deserted factory lines are testimony to an exodus of illegal Myanmar workers targeted in a massive Thai repatriation drive. Struggling with high unemployment amid its worst economic crisis in decades, Thailand has revived a plan to repatriate 600,000 Myanmar migrants working illegally in low-paid factory and farm jobs.

JIR

Filipino farmers use a winnower to separate the rice grains from the stalks at a rice field in Pilar town south of Manila April 11. The Philippine Department of Agriculture said recently that the country's rice stocks will be higher than last year's levels. Total rice stocks were estimated to have reached a 15-year high of 2.23 million tonnes as of March 1 according to the agriculture department's memorandum to President Joseph Estrada.

EDC/DL/AA

Thai villagers ride on a locally assembled vehicle as they head for the ricefields in the northeastern province of Surin April 3. The villagers who usually leave their homes to work as labourers in the capital while waiting for the next growing season had to remain in their villages as job vacancies are rare at construction sites in Bangkok at present due to country's economic crisis.

THAILAND

FOR RELEASE WITH FEATURE BC-PHILIPPINES RATS - Filipino farmers search for rats at their rice field paddy in San Simon town north of Manila. A plague of rats has hit ricefields in the northern Philippines, which the farmers blame a drought caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon. However, government officials say it is also partly the farmers'own fault for destorying natural predators such as owls and snakes. The rats have also become a popular delicacy in the area, with locals claiming rats are high in protein, low in cholesterol and is an aphrodisiac.

FEATURE

A Burmese farmer shovels paddy into a basket using his hands at a ricefield near Rangoon. Burma is an agricultural country and rice is the main crop for farmers. About 20 million tonnes of paddy products were produced and more than 340,000 tonnes of rice were exported in 1995-96. Picture taken 03 JAN 97.

A Burmese farmer shovels paddy into a basket using his hands at a ricefield near Rangoon. Burma is an agricultural country and rice is the main crop for farmers. About 20 million tonnes of paddy products were produced and more than 340,000 tonnes of rice were exported in 1995-96. Picture taken 03JAN97.

BURMA FEATURE

Vietnamese women from the countryside wait for jobs at a Hanoi market September 29 to make extra money when ricefields do not need tending. Vietnamese women account for 51.48 percent of the country's 72 million people and 52 percent of its labour force

A Filipino farmer uses a fishnet tied to a stick to catch a swarm of locusts devastating ricefields July 22 in 11 villages in Tarlac province north of the Philippine capital of Manila. The locusts have destroyed crops worth 1.8 million pesos ($690,000

Filipino bullocks, called carabao and driven by farmers, race down a ricefield in San Isidro village in northern Nueva Ecija in a special race May 8 highlighting celebration of the town fiesta