focus on RICE - Agrifutures Australia€¦ · • Rice growers in Australia use less water than...
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1 RURAL INDUSTRIES R&D CORPORATION industry overview RICE focus on Research & Development An R&D program managed by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation At a glance More than half of the world’s population eats rice at least once a day and Australia has the capacity to produce more than one million tonnes a year – enough to feed 20 million people per day, every day for a year, according to Australia’s leading rice business, SunRice. Australian commercial rice production dates back to the 1920s in the irrigation areas of southwestern New South Wales, and today it is a successful industry involving more than 1500 farm businesses in the NSW Riverina. The region produces an average annual crop of 600,000 to 800,000 tonnes, but this can increase to more than 1.2 million tonnes depending on water availability. The annual gross value of production is $255 million (based on a five year rolling average), and the industry employs up to 8000 people in growing, milling and transport, with a further 37,000 jobs in flow on activities. Up to 80 per cent of the annual crop is exported to almost 60 countries. Australian growers are world leaders in production per hectare, water-use efficiency and environmental management. Research, development and extension has resulted in premium prices for Australian rice in global medium grain rice markets. Facts and figures • Medium grain temperate varieties account for 80 per cent of rice grown in Australia. Meanwhile, long grain tropical varieties make up the bulk of the world’s production. • 99 per cent of rice is grown in NSW. Minor quantities are produced in northern Victoria, with potential for crops in northern Australia. • Rice growers in Australia use less water than rice crops in any other country, and 50 per cent less than the global average. • In 2009–10 the average Australian yield was 10.8 tonnes per hectare – a new Australian and international record. • Production varies according to water availability, from a record of 1.7 million tonnes in 2001–02, to less than 20,000 tonnes in 2007–08, during drought. Research and development The Rice R&D Program has been with RIRDC since the Corporation’s establishment in 1990. Funding for the RIRDC Rice Program is provided by industry participants through a statutory levy and matched dollar-for-dollar by the Australian Government, up to 0.05 per cent of the gross value of production. More than 232 research projects, valued at $30 million, were jointly funded with industry between 1990 and 2012, concentrating on areas from pre-planting to milling. As industry funding is raised through a grower levy, the extended drought during the 2000s that reduced rice production also reduced funding available for R&D. The number of projects funded fell from an average of 44 a year to just eight in 2010, contracting to core breeding and agronomic programs. This number is expected to increase as the industry recovers from drought. The latest RIRDC Five-Year Rice Research and Development Plan, launched in 2012, recognises significantly changed operating conditions, including limited water allocations and increasing climate variability. (continues overleaf)
Transcript of focus on RICE - Agrifutures Australia€¦ · • Rice growers in Australia use less water than...
1RURAL INDUSTRIES R&D CORPORATION industry overview
RICEfocus on
Research & DevelopmentAn R&D program managed by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
At a glanceMore than half of the world’s population eats rice at least once a day and Australia has the capacity to produce more than one million tonnes a year – enough to feed 20 million people per day, every day for a year, according to Australia’s leading rice business, SunRice.
Australian commercial rice production dates back to the 1920s in the irrigation areas of southwestern New South Wales, and today it is a successful industry involving more than 1500 farm businesses in the NSW Riverina.
The region produces an average annual crop of 600,000 to 800,000 tonnes, but this can increase to more than 1.2 million tonnes depending on water availability. The annual gross value of production is $255 million (based on a five year rolling average), and the industry employs up to 8000 people in growing, milling and transport, with a further 37,000 jobs in flow on activities. Up to 80 per cent of the annual crop is exported to almost 60 countries.
Australian growers are world leaders in production per hectare, water-use efficiency and environmental management. Research, development and extension has resulted in premium prices for Australian rice in global medium grain rice markets.
Facts and figures• Medium grain temperate
varieties account for 80 per cent of rice grown in Australia. Meanwhile, long grain tropical varieties make up the bulk of the world’s production.
• 99 per cent of rice is grown in NSW. Minor quantities are produced in northern Victoria, with potential for crops in northern Australia.
• Rice growers in Australia use less water than rice crops in any other country, and 50 per cent less than the global average.
• In 2009–10 the average Australian yield was 10.8 tonnes per hectare – a new Australian and international record.
• Production varies according to water availability, from a record of 1.7 million tonnes in 2001–02, to less than 20,000 tonnes in 2007–08, during drought.
Research and development The Rice R&D Program has been with RIRDC since the Corporation’s establishment in 1990. Funding for the RIRDC Rice Program is provided by industry participants through a statutory levy and matched dollar-for-dollar by the Australian Government, up to 0.05 per cent of the gross value of production. More than 232 research projects, valued at $30 million, were jointly funded with industry between 1990 and 2012, concentrating on areas from pre-planting to milling.
As industry funding is raised through a grower levy, the extended drought during the 2000s that reduced rice production also reduced funding available for R&D. The number of projects funded fell from an average of 44 a year to just eight in 2010, contracting to core breeding and agronomic programs. This number is expected to increase as the industry recovers from drought.
The latest RIRDC Five-Year Rice Research and Development Plan, launched in 2012, recognises significantly changed operating conditions, including limited water allocations and increasing climate variability. (continues overleaf)
2RURAL INDUSTRIES R&D CORPORATION industry overview
focus on: rice R&D
(from previous page)
Research priorities are:
• Rice breeding – new varieties and quality improvement• Prescription farming and sustainability • Crop inputs, crop protection and grain receival• Extension, communication and partnership development• Human capital formation and succession planning• Blue sky research
New varieties that use water more efficiently, and which can adapt to wider variations in climate, remain the highest industry priority, with relevant breeding programs supported by RIRDC, SunRice and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. It can take 10 years or more to develop a new rice variety, but these are crucial to maintaining market growth in international and domestic markets. They are grown and evaluated for water use, grain length, colour, transparency, yield and cooking quality (time and consistency).
INDUSTRY CASE STUDY #1
The success of our industry is in no small part due to the superb
rice varieties that have been developed over many years. Local researchers have bred varieties suited to both our
temperate climate and to our customers’ needs, resulting in
medium grain rice that’s sought after all over the world.
Sherpa stands tall despite the coldThe new rice variety Sherpa, released in 2011, combines two traits highly sought after by Australian growers. Murray region grower Ian Mason, who also chairs the RIRDC Rice Research and Development Committee, says Sherpa offers greater cold tolerance and improved water use efficiency.
A cold snap at the time of pollination can severely affect crop yields and is one of the challenges facing rice growers in temperate areas of Australia. Cold snaps can reduce yields by 40 per cent or more by impacting on pollination and reducing the amount of grain produced.“ The success of our industry is in no small part due to the superb rice varieties that have been developed over many years. Local research-ers have bred varieties suited to both our temperate climate and to our customers’ needs, resulting in medium grain rice that’s sought after all over the world,” Mr Mason says.
He says that in dry years, when water is scarce, irrigation farmers need a variety that is able to produce reliable yields despite fluctuations in temperatures. Sherpa can tolerate temperatures two degrees Celsius lower than existing varieties, and has greater water-use efficiency.
In addition to greater resilience at the crucial pollination period, the variety’s cold tolerance means less water is needed to ‘insulate’ the crop from potential temperature drops. This provides the opportunity to significantly reduce the industry’s irrigation water needs.
In all other quality aspects – such as colour, cooking quality and percentage of whole grain after milling – Sherpa matches existing mid-season medium grain cultivars.
3RURAL INDUSTRIES R&D CORPORATION industry overview
focus on: rice R&D
INDUSTRY CASE STUDY #2
Less water, more rice: rising to meet efficiency targets
With looming threats of water availability and food security, producing more tonnes of high quality rice per megalitre of water is a major driver for industry research funded by the RIRDC, SunRice and the NSW Department of Primary Industries Partnership.
Murrumbidgee rice grower Drew Braithwaithe could not be happier with Reiziq, the water-efficient variety that has become the mainstay of Australia’s medium grain crop since its launch in 2004. In 2013 his crop has yielded 13.8 tonnes per hectare, exceeding the international rice-growing benchmark of one tonne of rice per tonne (or megalitre) of water. He says the shorter growing season is an important part of the story; Reiziq can be planted later and matures at least 10 days quicker than previous varieties, so the crop is drained sooner, saving water.
In addition to varietal improvements, other initiatives have helped to improve industry water-use efficiency by more than 60 per cent in the past 20 years. These include ensuring rice is only grown on appropriate soils. RIRDC-supported research has developed electromagnetic soil mapping technology (EM31), in conjunction with soil sampling, to identify leaking soils and exclude them from production areas, a step that has helped to significantly reduce water use across the industry.
Efficiency in action
Tonnes of rice per hectare 1989-90 2009-10
8.62 tonnes/ha* 11.1 tonnes/ha*
* Source: NSW DPI, based on data for Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area
Visit www.rirdc.gov.au to see all of RIRDC’s rice
industry research projects.
Pub. No. 13/054
Contact RIRDC
Phone: 02 6271 4100
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.rirdc.gov.au
