Allen Newton 

FOLLOWING hard on the heels of the news of record-breaking tonnages of grain being exported from the Port of Melbourne, comes the news of more records for rice exports.

Rice, which is the the 12^th largest export in terms of overseas export tonnage, has increased by 620% between 2021 and 2024 and was at a six-year high.

A Port of Melbourne media release said the record number was down to a good growing season and the dedication of rice growers, who were recognized at the recent Rice Industry Awards.

Approximately 237,000 tonnes of rice was shipped from the port in the 2024 financial year.

From an overseas container export perspective, rice ranked 25th in FY24. In this period, 9865 TEU of rice were exported through the Port of Melbourne.

Port of Melbourne head of business development, Leatrice Treharne, said rice exports had peaked at 12,443 TEU in the 2018 financial year.

Rice has had good growing seasons over the last three years and growers have made significant improvements to productivity and successfully expanded international markets by Australian rice exporter, SunRice.

The Port of Melbourne also presented the Highest Yield Awards at the 2024 Rice Industry Awards in Moama, Victoria, on 31 July. Winners were:

Crop Year (CY)24 Port of Melbourne Highest Yield M.I.A (Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area): Allawah Family Trust; CY24 Port of Melbourne Highest Yield C.I.A (Coleambally Irrigation Area): Fred and Kathy Hibbert of FW G & FW Hibbert; CY24 Port of Melbourne Highest Yield W.M.V (Western Murray Valley): Matthew and Jess Russ on behalf of Russ Family Farming Pty Ltd; CY24 Port of Melbourne Highest Yield E.M.V (Eastern Murray Valley): Doug Hatty of Mardenoora Farming Pty Ltd; and CY24 Port of Melbourne Highest Yield Overall: Allawah Family Trust.

Director of the winning Allawah Family Trust, David Andrighetto, said he had been toiling away for years and it was great to be recognised.

“I’ve grown good crops before, but this one was my highest. That’s what we set out to do: to get the most yield as we possibly can. At the end of the day, yield is king,” Mr Andrighetto said.

The jump in rice exports followed another agricultural milestone with grain exports hitting an all-time high of 3.37 million metric tonnes of grain going through the port.

Published Date: August 8, 2024