Making hay while the sun shines

It is a common sight in the villages of Himachal Pradesh if you travel through the state soon after the harvest. The stalks of paddy, wheat or maize, from which the grain has been separated, are dried in the sun so that they can be used as fodder.

Agriculture is the major occupation of the people of Himachal Pradesh, a popular travel destination of India. About 70% of the population are directly employed in this work. However, the cultivated area of the state is only 10.4 per cent.