With a new winner announced last night as part of the Australian Rice Conference, a three day conference in Leeton which concludes today, the Smalls have reflected on how the process and their generational knowledge has influenced their farming operations.
Josh and Emily are fourth-generation growers, and are as committed to soil health and water efficiency as they are to continuing the family’s rich legacy in the Riverina rice industry.
With deep roots in the Pretty Pine region, the Smalls have evolved their mixed irrigation farm into a modern, efficient and sustainable enterprise.
It was that approach which earned them the 2024 SunRice Grower of the Year title.
Like other local growers, the Smalls have access to the Rice Management Dashboard.
It was developed by James Brinkhoff of the University of New England and AgriFutures Australia, in collaboration with NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and Rice Extension.
The real-time dashboard uses remote sensing from satellite imagery to provide growers with data points and crop predictions.
Individual farmers use the platform in different ways, but the Smalls appreciate having the data at their fingertips.
“The dashboard is designed specifically to help growers make informed decisions about our crops,” Josh said.
“The predictions are particularly helpful for deciding how to approach milestones like irrigation management, panicle initiation, flowering and harvest.
“We can see specific differences within a single paddock, which helps with things like variable nitrogen application.”
The dashboard also stores and displays historical data, allowing growers and researchers to compare data between crop years for patterns and enhanced predictions.
Josh and Emily run a Rice Extension Focus Site on their property, which allows for real-time trial feedback and discussion among growers.
“Having farmers on-farm to discuss results and what else is happening out there has been fantastic – we’re all working towards the best outcomes together.”
The Smalls have also benefitted from SunRice’s GrowRice facility.
“It was critical during and after the drought, and even recently when managing cashflow,” Josh said.
“Having that option to access funding for inputs when you wouldn’t necessarily be able to, allows you to make the most of an opportunity in a good year, even if cashflow is tight.”
As well as successes, the Smalls have had their share of challenges, from droughts to floods, changing input costs and evolving government policies.
But Josh believes rice remains one of the most environmentally sustainable crops in the long term, and he said they are committed to making it work well into the future.
“Climate and government policy are definitely the biggest challenges,” he said.
“But we focus on what we can control; soil health, fertiliser use, water savings, and being as efficient as we can.”
One of the biggest efficiency boosts came 15-20 years ago when Josh’s father implemented a full water recycling system on-farm.
Since then, Josh has continued to build on that system to maximise productivity.
“We capture every drop of water we can – both irrigation and rainfall, and reuse it.”
For Josh and Emily - who is a current Ricegrowers Association of Australia director - being a SunRice grower isn’t just about farming, it’s about being part of something bigger.
“SunRice has brought our community together, not just growers, but all the people employed through the mills and across the wider business,” Josh said.
“It’s such a significant employer in our region and that matters. It’s bigger than just one farm.”
When asked what advice he’d give to someone considering growing with SunRice, Josh doesn’t hesitate.
“SunRice speaks for itself. It’s been around for 75 years, delivers strong pool prices, and has helped build incredible small communities. The future is bright.”
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