Rice laid out to dry in Dhamrai, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Sun-dried rice. Rice processing in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, a country which has never recorded freezing temperatures, rice growing is a year-round affair. But growing an aquatic crop in the dry season, from October until March, is complicated, requiring special types of rice and extra irrigation.

Drying the grains is more straightforward, though: As these workers spread rice thinly over a large field, heat from the sun warms it and the surrounding air, creating an arid environment to evaporate moisture within the grains. It's tough, toasty work, not to mention important, given that rice is the staple for more than 160 million people who live in this South Asian nation.