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2004 - INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF RICE
Speech by The Hon John Anderson, Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of the Nationals
International Year of Rice Launch, Parliament House, Canberra
24th March 2004
- Rice is the staple diet of over half the world’s population. For them, rice is life.
- The development of high yielding rice varieties in the 1960s was the foundation of the green revolution that has alleviated hunger across the globe.
- The United Nations has declared 2004 as the International Year of Rice, because there are still 840 million people suffering from chronic hunger; over half of them live in areas that are dependent on rice.
- So the international year aims to reinvigorate the growth of rice production, reduce poverty and improve food security.
- Australia will have a significant role in the year.
- We are a major rice exporter. Our ricegrowers feed up to 40 million people every day.
- Our rice industry is one of the most efficient and productive in the world.
- The industry and the government invest heavily in research and extension. The results do not just benefit our own industry; they spread out to benefit the small-scale growers who produce 4/5ths of the world’s rice and consume it locally.
- It’s also an opportunity to celebrate the origins and regional importance of the industry.
- Reminded that the first successful rice crops in Australia were grown by Jo Takasuka. He was a member of the Japanese parliament, but came here in 1905 and managed to secure an exemption from the notorious ‘dictation test.’
- His example shows there is life after politics.
- Today, the industry helps to support more than 60 regional towns and supports about 8,000 jobs.
- The best way we can mark the International Year of Rice is to complete the National Water Initiative. It will provide the industry with long term security.
- Water is a critical resource for the rice industry, although it doesn’t use as much water as many people believe.
- Australian ricegrowers have reduced the amount of water they use per tonne of rice by 60 percent over the last ten years;
- It takes about 2,400 litres of water to produce a kilo of rice. In contrast, it requires 18,000 litres to produce a kilo of butter, and 50,000 litres to produce a kilo of steak.
- We have just released a discussion paper about the core details of the agreement, which has been prepared by officials from the Australian, state and territory governments.
- It is open for comment until 19 April. The paper reflects the difficult negotiations we are having with some of the states and territories.
- I want to pay credit to the New South Wales Government, which is taking an extremely far-sighted approach to the agreement.
- Some of the other governments do not seem to share our understanding of the importance of getting water right.
- The Government will be pressing for an agreement that includes firm commitments and all the detail that is necessary to establish a nationally compatible system of water entitlements.
- We will be doing everything we can to make sure the agreement is completed by the middle of year, because we understand the critical importance of water to both the environment and our farm industries – including rice.
- I am therefore delighted to launch the International Year of Rice in Australia.
(UNVEIL THE RICE SCULPTURE OF PARLIAMENT HOUSE)
- I know some people watch Parliament on television as if it’s a popular serial – now I suppose it really is one.
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INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF RICE
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