• Cutting - cutting the mature panicles and straw above-ground
• Threshing - separating the paddy grain from the rest of the cut crop
• Cleaning - removing immature, unfilled and non-grain materials
• Hauling - moving the cut crop to the threshing location
• Bagging - bagging the threshed grain for transport and storage

• Field drying (After cleaning) - leaving the cut crop in the field and exposing it to the sun for drying
• Stacking/Piling (After hauling) - temporarily storing the harvested crop in stacks or piles

Correct timing of harvest is crucial to prevent losses. Grain losses can be due to rats, birds, insects lodging of rice plants, and shattering of grains.

A. MANUAL HARVESTING

• This includes cutting the rice crop by simple hand tools like sickle for cutting 15 to 25 cm above ground level, and simple hand-held knives for cutting just below the panicle.
• Though labor pensive, its very effective in lodged crop conditions.
• Manual harvesting requires 40 to 80 person hours per ha. It will take an additional labor to manually collect and haul the harvested crop.

B. MECHANICAL HARVESTING

• A reaper with a cutting-width of 1.5 m can operate at a rate of 1 to 1.5 ha/day. For proper operation of reapers, fields need to be levelled and drained. It is difficult to reap crop that is lodged (lying on the ground).
• This operation is faster and more efficient compared to manual harvesting.