"...We level the field so that the water remains at the same depth throughout..."
This is undoubtedly one of the practices that help increase rice yields per planted area.
In my country, Cuba, many city dwellers used to cultivate a small plot of land to grow some of the rice their families consumed over the course of a year, because rice is indispensable to us.

But we are also well aware of the sacrifices involved in producing it, including the risk of contracting very serious illnesses. Those who cultivate rice must be strong and healthy, as planting and harvesting it entails spending long hours under the sun with their feet sunk deep into heavy mud that makes movement difficult.
After a day of planting or harvesting rice, the farmers are utterly exhausted—yet year after year, they return to the task, sometimes doing so twice a year depending on the rainy or dry seasons.
Undoubtedly, thanks to their efforts, rice never goes missing from our tables, even though prices sometimes rise due to a lack of rain, fertilizers, and the fuel needed for crop spraying—and also because so many people have left the countryside to migrate to cities, unfortunately changing their way of life.
Your post is undoubtedly an excellent tribute to the people who do not shy away from hard work, knowing that so many others depend on their harvests.