“Dryland” is an agricultural term for growing a food crop without any irrigation. Our Dryland rice growing method means our rice is purely grown naturally on rainfall without the need for any irrigation or a traditional ponded “paddy” system that most people would first think of when they envisage how rice is grown.
No irrigation means we are saving one of our valuable resources in Australia that is, water. Traditional paddy systems will use 1000L – 2500L of irrigation water to produce 1kg of rice as compared to our dryland rice that uses 0L of irrigation water to produce the same 1kg of rice.
Our Dryland Rice is grown on the fertile floodplains in the northeastern corner of NSW, known as The Northern Rivers, most commonly known for the towns such as Byron Bay, Lennox head and Ballina.
The Northern Rivers is the most unique area in Australia to grow dryland rice. With our pristine clean green environment, abundance of rainfall, sub-tropical climate and no birds or disease, means we can grow our rice the most sustainable and environmentally friendly way in Australia.
The Northern Rivers receives an average of >1000mm/year of rainfall, with an average of 700mm of rain falling in November to April, which is the growing season for Dryland rice. Along with high rainfall, we also have warm night-time temps between January and February, which is vital to growing dryland rice successfully.
Rice grown in the traditional paddy system has been found to be responsible for 15-18% of the worlds methane greenhouse gas emissions. Growing rice in a Dryland system reduces these gas emissions by up to 85%!
"Dryland rice is naturally grown to be naturally better for the environment!"
Our Dryland Rice is grown on the fertile floodplains in the northeastern corner of NSW, known as The Northern Rivers, most commonly known for the towns such as Byron Bay, Lennox Head and Ballina.
The nature of the Northern Rivers being subject to flooding is why we grow rice here, due to its ability to thrive in waterlogged conditions. The varieties we use are actually the same as grown in the traditional paddy system. Rice doesn’t need to be grown in water, just needs wet soil. But because it can grow in water, the water is used for protecting the young seed head when it’s first developing in the stem from cool night temps. We have warm night temps here so we don’t need the water.
We do not need to irrigate or supplement water to our fields. When compared to traditional rice growing methods we use 65% less water and have reduced our Greenhouse Gas emissions by 85%!
Rice is perfectly safe to eat in moderation if you have diabetes. Brown rice is more highly recommended as it naturally has a lower glycemic index than white rice. Our rice is also naturally gluten free and is safe for celiac and gluten restricted diets.
