Birds are flocking to rice crops to sample the fish delights as farmers drain the remaining water from their paddies. 

Farmers who planted rice are keen to get harvesting with the perfect weather and mice moving in.

At a recent SunRice Harvest Demonstration Day in Griffith, Chairman Laurie Arthur said there was energy and excitement from the growers who attended towards rice production. 

“We’re in the midst of harvesting the 2021 Riverina rice crop – which is more than 10 times the size of last year’s crop – and shows that when our growers have good water availability they will plant rice,” Mr Arthur said. 

“We know that rice is perfectly suited to the farming systems of the Riverina – as demonstrated by the fact that some 475 growers have planted the crop this summer. 

“Events like today are a great opportunity for our growers to come together, swap ideas and learn about new innovations to help them remain at the cutting edge. 

“After the last couple of really difficult seasons, there is a real buzz around rice production in the Riverina. We are the most water efficient rice industry in the world, and our growers are thrilled to be once again able to produce a crop that is then value-added into branded products and sold to consumers and customers around the world.”