Community
18 March, 2025
Rice could be the next crop
RICE could be the next crop sugarcane producers could be farming in the Mossman area.
With the Mossman mill now closed and just one more harvest crushed at the Gordonvale mill, farmers are considering what’s next.
More than 20 from Mossman to the Burdekin attended a meeting at Gordonvale to discuss the opportunity to develop a north Queensland rice industry.
They were joined by interested stakeholders from organisations including Farmacist, Regional Development Australia, Department of Primary Industries, Cairns Regional Council, Tropical Agricultural Food Industry Network (TAFIN), Cassowary Coast Regional Council, Rabobank, Mulgrave MP Terry James and the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development (DNRMMRD).
Farmacist extension leader Belinda Billing said North Queensland farmers had successfully grown rice commercially in the past, however there currently was no viable market, despite rice being well suited to the region’s climate and soils.
“The group discussed opportunities to leverage off this success, as well as recent small-scale projects assessing tropically adapted rice varieties to develop a local industry that would complement established agricultural industries such as sugarcane,” she said.
“Farmers attending from Mossman were looking for an alternative to sugarcane after the recent closure of the Mossman mill and were hopeful that the concept would be supported by stakeholders, providing them with the opportunity to grow a crop they feel confident will thrive in their region.”
Ms Billing said the group raised three key areas for investment required to progress the concept:
1. A variety selection program. There are hundreds of varieties of rice that could be grown and recent trial work has shown that the rice varieties previously grown for NSW buyer SunRice are not the best suited to the northern climate, with others proving more productive and robust.
2. Market research to identify the most appropriate market opportunities. This research will also help inform the variety selection program, ensuring farmers grow varieties that are suited to the available markets.
3. Infrastructure for storage and processing, including economic feasibility studies to identify the most suitable location and processing equipment required.
Ms Billing said farmers and stakeholders had agreed to work together to develop the concept further and seek funding for the three key investment areas.
Gordonvale farmers Charlie and John Piccolo successfully grew rice from 2015 to 2022 and are leading advocacy efforts for a local rice industry.
“We have grown many different commercial crops in our fallows and have found that rice is the most reliable, the best suited to our climate and was a great crop to rotate with our sugarcane,” Charlie Piccolo told the meeting.
“We believe that diversifying our income is important to maintain farm sustainability and with local processing facilities and the right varieties we can do this with rice, which is just so well suited,” he said.
