16 hours ago
Australia's newest rice mill funded largely by farmers
A new $10 million rice mill in southern New South Wales is being hailed as a bold step towards food security and rural sustainability.
Built on the outskirts of Jerilderie, the mill opened in the Riverina region, which produces 98 per cent of Australia's rice.
The proud group of farmers behind the project hope their mill, equipped with cutting-edge Japanese technology, will increase profitability and resilience after a century of domination by a corporate monopoly.
"It's a red-letter day for the region," Murrumbidgee Shire Mayor Ruth McRae said.
"Out here in rural and regional Australia you don't rely on other people to do it for you.
"If you think you've got something that's got a good chance of developing … just roll your sleeves up and get it done."
The impetus for the mill was born during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, when many Australian supermarkets ran out of rice, creating panic about food security.
"They [consumers] got very concerned about their supply of food products into Australia," rice grower Mark Robertson said.
He and other farmers had their own concerns.
They questioned whether using limited irrigation water to grow conventional rice varieties was delivering the best returns.
The group of about 20 growers conducted research that showed consumers wanted a broader range of rice on shelves.
They saw an opportunity to boost returns by growing and selling niche rice varieties.
The rice growers were assisted by a change in legislation that ended a century-long monopoly held by corporate giant SunRice, which had exclusive rights to market and sell New South Wales rice domestically and overseas.
After raising capital, they built a small rice mill to get started and later constructed a larger one capable of processing 7 tonnes of rice per hour.
A veteran of the rice industry, Mr Ford had previously built his own aeroplane, but never a rice mill.
"This is not something you buy off the shelf every day," he said.
"It's like a giant Meccano set.
The growers were successful in getting their Nice Rice brand into all the major supermarket chains.
"Black rice, purple rice, red rice and some of the more native types, but certainly when it comes to your jasmines and long grains, all rice has different textures and characteristics and slightly different flavour profiles," grower George Stevenson said.
Both facilities are able to process niche rice varieties to cater for different cultural demands or health trends.
After the harvested rice crop emerges from the mill, it is hulled and polished ready for packaging.
Counciller McRae was especially impressed the growers funded most of the venture with only a small amount of outside capital.
She said the mill could be a blueprint for other rural communities and farming groups to process their own produce.
"There has been no government incentives or … free leg-ups to make this happen," she said.
"It's local people, regional people, taking a huge leap of faith to invest in something they truly believe in.
"That leap of faith took staunch grit to make it happen."
The growers have been striving to improve their green credentials and were delighted with this year's bountiful rice harvest.
All of the rice trucked to the new mill is harvested within a 100-kilometre radius.
Previously, it had to be transported more than 1,000km to a mill in northern New South Wales for processing, then brought back for packaging and distribution.
George Stevenson, who is one of the younger growers in the Riverina, said the mill would ensure the rice industry's longer-term viability.
"I want to keep growing rice for as long as I can and I've got a little boy now and maybe one day he'll be a rice grower."
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