Adapting a Rice Farm to Climate Change.

Laurie Arthur

Rice Farmer

The problem

Managing Climate change Risk

• Invest in on farm efficiency• Move to dry land farming systems• Reduce gearing to allow opportunity cropping• Move to new crops and cropping systems• Spend nothing and tough it out• Create a rice industry in Northern Australia

All after several years of minimal income

Why rice in the Ord?

• Tired of no water in south

• Australia’s highest security water

• Murray Valley and Ord Valley rainfall patterns seem to be counter cyclical

• With a critical mass it has a logistical advantage

• Rice has a deep world market

• Australians have the expertise

Moulamein to Kununurra 3800km

Rice out in head

The magpie geese stayed away

Lessons to date

• M Valley Quest med grain 150 days12ml/ha

• Ord Quest medium grain 100 days- 6ml/ha

• M Valley yield 10.5 tons / ha

• Ord yield 8 tons / ha

• Sowing rates need to increase

• M V grain quality- premium 65% w g mill-out

• Ord grain quality- results from PNG soon

Will there be a rice industry up north?

• Must contain rice handling costs

• Need to increase the yields

• Need additional storage facilities

• A rice R&D program must breed dedicated northern varieties

• Must reach a critical mass (10,000 ton) soon

• Grow 800 ha each year in the north

• Grow up to 800 ha in the south when water is available

• Run both enterprises as related units

• Help to establish an agricultural powerhouse in the north

• Not break the southern operation pursuing the north

What I would like to do