The sowing of rice at a rate of 440 to 529 lbs (200 to 240 kg) per hectare begins in mid-April in the rice fields of Camargue, previously prepared and filled with water. The water management is decisive and alternates drying and flooding phases depending on the climate, the condition of the seeds, and the development of their growth. A paddy field receives an average of 25,000 to 30,000 cubic meters of water per hectare each year.