Australian rice growers are continually improving their water use efficiency
Water restrictions in urban Australia have nothing to do with rice farms
Rice is a valuable crop to Australia
Rice varieties grown in Australia are not the same as those grown in Asia
Water used on rice is not the same as drinking water
Rice farms promote biodiversity
Rice is not the agricultural product which uses the most water
If there’s no water, there’s no rice crop
Rice growers are committed to the environment
If there’s no water, there’s no rice crop
The amount of rice grown in Australia each year, is directly related to the amount of water made available to irrigators. If there is no water allocation, there is no rice crop. Like all farmers, rice growers are not immune to drought conditions.
State governments determine the priority usage of water, with a heirachy in place to ensure the communities are sustainable.
Stock and domestic, towns, communities and industrial users being the highest security users receive priority allocations, followed by water for the environment, then high security agriculture users – typically those with intensive animal farming (eg: dairies, piggeries and feedlots) and permanent plantings (eg: orchards and vineyards). After these groups receive their water, allocations are then available to general security agriculture users – typically for growing crops. General security agricultural users are not only the last to receive water allocations but are also the first group to have their water allocations reduced in times of drought.
Typically rice is grown by general security irrigators, making them the last to receive water in the supply chain and the first to have water allocations reduced. In 2006 in the Murray Valley there was no water allocation for general security irrigators, in fact, general security irrigators have not received 100% of their allocation for several years.
Want to know more about this issue?
Below you will find links to useful information: