About Rice

The Australian rice industry has the capacity to produce more than 1 million tonnes of rice per year.

Our growers play an important role in food security as rice sustains two-thirds of the world’s population.

Australian rice is milled, packed and branded in the Riverina by SunRice, which is the sole exporter of Australian rice products to world markets. It supplies more than 60 major international destinations.

Australian growers are the most efficient and productive in the world - producing the best quality medium grain rice at the highest global yields. Every grain is digitally scanned to ensure it is top quality, and is rejected if it doesn’t make the grade.

History of Rice

Rice seeds were brought to Australia by Chinese gold prospectors around 1850.

The first record of rice cultivation in South Eastern Australia was in 1906, when the Victorian Government allocated 200 acres of land on the Murray River to ...

Rice Facts

Some of the interesting facts about the Australian rice industry include:

Australia can produce more than 1 million tonnes of rice annually and can feed up to 40 million people per day

Rice is...

Growing Rice

Growing rice in Australia

Who grows rice?

There are about 1600 farm businesses growing rice in the Murrumbidgee Valley of NSW and the Murray Valley of NSW and Victoria. The avera...

Storage & Milling

Storage

Once rice has been harvested it’s transported by truck to a paddy storage facility where the grain is sorted according to variety. Rice storage bins fitted with computer-linked sensors monitor grai...

Marketing & Export

Rice Marketing

The majority of rice grown in Australia is sold to Ricegrowers Limited and is successfully marketed under the SunRice brand. SunRice has been marketing rice to Australians for ove...

Research & Development

The rice industry invests heavily in research and development into innovative ways of producing rice, using less water per tonne.

This has led to the development of water efficient rice varieties, more sophisticated drainage and recycli...

Rice Products

Uses of rice

Rice is more than just a staple food – it’s a versatile ingredient used in many dishes and cultures across the world.

Rice is rich in energy-giving carbohydrates, very low in fat,...

Education Resources

RGA has developed a range of educational materials available on rice and the Australian rice industry including books and DVDs. See below for details.

Also see our FAQs page for more inform...