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Meet the Hardy Family
With the 2021 rice harvest underway, we caught up earlier in the season with the Hardy family who are rice growers from Coleambly in the Riverina region of Australia.
“I think it’s going to be exciting, especially for the two boys. They’ve come back to the farm – and it’s been pretty tough.” - Catherine Hardy
Meet the Hehir Family
With the 2021 rice harvest underway, we caught up earlier in the season with the Hehir family who are rice growers from Finley in the Riverina region of Australia.
“It’s definitely a good feeling knowing that you’re growing a food that’s a staple right around the world” - Nathan Hehir
Meet the Glenn Family
With the 2021 rice harvest underway, we caught up earlier in the season with the Glenn family who are rice growers from Moulamein in the Riverina region of Australia.
“Consumers don’t really see that when they buy the SunRice product in the supermarket, there is literally a family farm in the Riverina jumping up and down ‘cause they’re happy someone bought their product.” - Charleton Glenn
Meet the Sergi Family
With the 2021 rice harvest underway, we caught up earlier in the season with the Sergi family who are rice growers from Griffith in the Riverina region of Australia.
“The whole town is vibrant because there’s water and there’s rice – it’s really a fantastic feeling." - Patrick Sergi
2020 SunRice Growers of the Year
Leeton farmers Peter and Erin Draper were awarded the SunRice Growers of the year and have been involved with the industry for over 40 years, with Peter growing his first crop in 1975.
Farming just outside of Leeton, the Drapers’ have changed their farming enterprise to focus on improving on farm efficiency to incorporate a sustainable summer and winter cropping program.
“Accessing good advice and making the most of the technology and information available has been key to our success. As has taking a holistic approach to our business, profit is important but so is the environment and our communities. We are also lucky to have been supported by a wonderful rice growing industry, with SunRice, RGA and Rice Extension, providing a great support system.” - Peter Draper
See MoreProudly part of the SunRice family of growers
"We need to be able to grow more tonnes with less water .. that's where the industry is headed". Watch this two minute video from Steve and Jackie Cremasco and hear about how Aussie rice growers feed the population while protecting the environment. SunRice growers since 2007, they were Finalists in the 2019 SunRice Grower of the Year Awards.
Family, learning together
"I am proud of what I do here" Scott, Pam and Carl Williams, working together on their property at Murrami. Watch this two minute video from the Williams and hear more about the value of two generations working together doing something they love.
A trusted partnership
"We have an endangered bird that is breeding and succeeding in our rice crops" Ian Payne explains in this two minute video about growing rice this year and how he is grateful for the advice and support of the industry and rice growing community.
Supporting wildlife and bird life
Hear a few short words from Hayden Cudmore on the Bitterns in Rice Project and then read more detail on this and other biodiversity projects here.
2019 SunRice Growers of the Year
"Australian rice is among the best clean green rice grown in any country . The amount of people it feeds as a staple diet is huge." Watch this two minute video from Peter and Renee Burke who have been growing rice for 21 years.
Over the last couple of years they changed their planting methods to require less water, which will enable them to remain competitive in the water market and ensure the sustainability of their rice growing operation into the future.
This decision and change to their business operations played a part in them being awarded 2019 SunRice Grower of the Year and The Weekly Times Coles 2019 Farmer of the Year.
Celebrating 90 years
SunRice is a proudly Australian company. Generations of families who are proud to be growing Australian rice and feeding families in Australia and around the world.
The Gribbles and Bardneys are two such generations who are proud to be growing rice for the 90th year since their first family crops in 1928.
With years of perseverance and refining of skills, the Gribble’s are among the Riverina region’s top 25% of growers, producing some of the area’s highest quality rice. This is combined with improvements in their water usage year-on-year which have exceeded Riverina targets set for water use efficiency.
“Rice growing has been a profitable farming operation for generations of our family and its pleasing for us that SunRice processes, packages and markets our domestic rice right here in our local community.” Chris Gribble, Riverina Rice Grower.
See MoreOutstanding Low GI Crop
Australian ricegrowers continually improve their paddock layouts to reduce water usage, labour time and machinery time.
In the 2017/18 rice growing season, Clint Badoco secured a contract with SunRice to grow Doongara, SunRice’s Low Gi ‘Clever Rice’. Across the entirety of his rice plantings, Clint was in the top 20% of growers. His Doongara crop in particular was a standout being the highest yielding Doongara rice crop grown in the 2018 season.
Clint puts his success down to his paddock layouts. He continues to upgrade his paddock layouts to improve labour and machinery efficiencies. Clint also has the advantage of heavy subsoils on his property which are perfect conditions for rice growing.
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