Laurie Arthur, a rice farmer, is adapting their farm to climate change by exploring growing rice in Northern Australia to diversify from their southern farm that frequently experiences low water allocations. They have had some success trialling rice varieties in the Ord Valley in Northern Australia, which has higher security water rights. However, challenges remain in increasing yields, improving grain quality, and reducing costs to establish a viable northern rice industry at a large enough scale. The farmer aims to gradually expand rice production across both their northern and southern farms to manage climate change risks while not compromising the southern operation.

1. Adapting a Rice Farm to Climate
Change.
Laurie Arthur
Rice Farmer

3. The problem

5. NSW Murray Allocation announcements modelled since 1892 on todays development
120
100
80
% Allocation
60
40
20
0
Year ending June
Oct Announced June Announced

6. Grain tonnage per financial year
6000 120
5000 100
4000 80
Tonnes of grain
% of allocation
Cereal ton
Rice ton
3000 60
Allocation
2000 40
1000 20
0 0
91/9292/9393/9494/9595/9696/9797/9898/9999/0000/0101/0202/0303/0404/0505/0606/0707/0808/0909/1009/1109/12
Cereal ton 193 194 242 229 341 217 234 255 374 232 460 220 713 290
Rice ton 167 237 264 272 243 335 330 279 352 487 460 188 310 318 480 936 0 0 544 420
Allocation 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 45 100 100 10 56 50 60 0 0 9 21 100
Financial Year

7. 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

8. 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

10. Moulamein to Kununurra 3800km

29. Rice out in head

35. The magpie geese stayed away

36. 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

39. 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

40. What I would like to do
• 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