From Growing to Preparation, Rice Requires Less Water Than Many Other Foods
Taken from Ricegrowers' Association of Australia
Taken from Ricegrowers' Association of Australia
Murray Darling Basin Plan, Your Thoughts?
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DVR
Member
It's simple but it's taken generations to figure it out. one kills a river. one kills the ground.
They both are a precious resource and neither are infinite.
Being a rice farmer you obviously ignore those small facts.
Wat sort of tosswit compares rice with beef?
They both are a precious resource and neither are infinite.
Being a rice farmer you obviously ignore those small facts.
Wat sort of tosswit compares rice with beef?
d22dave
Member
Your talking about ground water and surface water how is it recycled.ground water is just pumped out. And everyone has a different theory about how long it takes to get down into the aquifier
d22dave
Member
vegans
I will admit i havnt looked into it but i would like to know where the figures for beef production come from. That seems to be the vegan rant beef uses too much water. And yes i work on the land
I will admit i havnt looked into it but i would like to know where the figures for beef production come from. That seems to be the vegan rant beef uses too much water. And yes i work on the land
Bore water on a farm is pumped from the ground, used to irrigate, drained, stored in a dam or recycling channel then re-pumped (from the dam or channel) back onto a crop - thus recycled.
Surface water, when used in flood irrigation situations is also recycled in a similar method, however at the end of the growing season remaining water is returned to the river from the farms, supply channels and so on.
Surface water, when used in flood irrigation situations is also recycled in a similar method, however at the end of the growing season remaining water is returned to the river from the farms, supply channels and so on.
DVR
Member
From This web page
Australian Government National Water Commission - Agricultural water use in Australia
Agricultural water use
2007-08
Nearly all (90%) of the water used for agriculture in 2007-08 was used for irrigation. Pastures and crops used for grazing continued to be the largest users of irrigated water (26%). Other high irrigation users were cereal crops for grain and seed, excluding rice which used 15% of irrigation water and sugar cane which used nearly 14%.
Rice was the most heavily irrigated crop in 2007-08, in terms of the volume of water applied per unit area. The application rate for rice was almost four times the national average rate across all crops and pastures. Cotton was the crop with the second highest irrigation rate.
No wonder the rice grower compare it to beef. It's the ONLY way it looks viable.
Australian Government National Water Commission - Agricultural water use in Australia
Agricultural water use
2007-08
Nearly all (90%) of the water used for agriculture in 2007-08 was used for irrigation. Pastures and crops used for grazing continued to be the largest users of irrigated water (26%). Other high irrigation users were cereal crops for grain and seed, excluding rice which used 15% of irrigation water and sugar cane which used nearly 14%.
Rice was the most heavily irrigated crop in 2007-08, in terms of the volume of water applied per unit area. The application rate for rice was almost four times the national average rate across all crops and pastures. Cotton was the crop with the second highest irrigation rate.
No wonder the rice grower compare it to beef. It's the ONLY way it looks viable.
DVR
Member
So by that reasoning, nukes are OK cos all up they have killed less people that other weapons of war.
d22dave
Member
In theory thats doesnt sound that bad. Except the nutrient level of the water returned to the river. But on a lighter note going to put the canoe in a drainage channel and drift on down to lake alexandrina in a couple of months now that there is some water.
If by Precious you mean a life source to frogs, fish, birdlife and god forbid food production you are indeed correct.
Killing a river I beg to differ, farmers are only allocated water dependant on dam levels and river flow. The farmers simply are not able to take water if it isnt there in great enough volumes in the first place. The envoronment comes first, us 2nd. I should also add that the Dams built (originally for irrigation) ensure continued water flow along the water though controlled releases. In recent years of drought there would have been far less water (possibly none) without these, and all water would have flowed out to sea where it is no benefit to any of us.
As for killing the ground, perhaps people pumping ground water unsuitable for irrigation, this may be the case. In the area I am from bore water is tested for mineral content and only suitable water is used for Irrigation.
Ignoring the personal comment there; We here in the country live within, and depend on the ecosystem this report is supposedly trying to save. What benefit would it be to us, let alone you, who rely on us as your food producers to ignore these "facts"?
What does a cow eat? let me give you a hint.... Pasture, Cereal crops (grain's such as wheat, barley, rice) etc.......... and then drinks water go and find those figures add them together. Its not rocket science to see how the two can be compared.
Cattle dont survive on thin air, and neither do we humans...
Chartrock
Member
Boy, this discussion is heating up. I can see why passions get raised but remember guys, this is a Navara forum. While we all agree on the type of 4WD we like, we will have a range of opinions on all other subjects. I have opinions on them too, but they are uninformed and probably disagree with a lot of of forum members.
I agree with anything that helps to grow food, even rice, and disagree with cotton growing up in the headwaters of the Darling, not only for the water used but the chemicals sprayed that end up in the river system further downstream. But that is just an opinion.
I agree with anything that helps to grow food, even rice, and disagree with cotton growing up in the headwaters of the Darling, not only for the water used but the chemicals sprayed that end up in the river system further downstream. But that is just an opinion.
DVR
Member
Except the whole "a life source to frogs, fish, birdlife" thing you mentioned. huh?
I was refering to the idiots that compiled that graph.(Ricegrowers' Association of Australia) Reminds me of the tobacco industry.
So stop growing rice
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
OK Serious question DVR... If all of the Farmers affected by this plan from QLD, NSW and S.A. pack up and cease production tomorrow who benefits then?
As for your answer of $ being the number one motivating factor behind farming I can assure you many of the people here would gladly swap their income with that of what is on offer in the cities. Infact this really does show how out of touch some people are. And I suggest you refer to today's financial review for further information on this subject relating to money and farming communities within the murray darling basin.
As for your answer of $ being the number one motivating factor behind farming I can assure you many of the people here would gladly swap their income with that of what is on offer in the cities. Infact this really does show how out of touch some people are. And I suggest you refer to today's financial review for further information on this subject relating to money and farming communities within the murray darling basin.
I don't really want to get in to the middle of this increasingly heated debate but I thought I'd just put my two cents in. Rice often cops a lot of shit for the amount of water it uses, and it does, there is no denying it. but what is often overlooked is the fact that a kg of rice can feed a family, whereas a kg of grapes for example might make about 500ml of wine. it takes roughly twice as much water to grow the rice, but for the same water use, you could have a kilogram of rice or one litre of wine. To me, this makes rice very efficient. Rice maybe a thirsty crop, but the nutritional value and efficiency of that crop keeps half the world alive. It is also worth noting that australia is a net exporter of food. if this plan is allowed to proceed, we would have to import food. This would most likely be from countries that have a lot less environmental concern than us making it environmentally hypocritical to import from them.
And I would also like to point out, that this thread seems to have become an argument about whether we should grow rice or not. There are more people involved here than just rice growers! This proposed plan has the potential to decimate entire communities. If farmers have to leave an area, they'll also take their wives and kids. this will cripple local businesses of all sorts as well as schools, sporting clubs and other associations. there are housand of tiny communities in the affected area that are hanging by a thread and this will be the straw that broke the camels back for them. The one farmer that leaves, may have a wife that is the only teacher, or doctor, or midwife in the area.
I also have to raise the issue that we have been in drought for going on ten years now. And it is a certainty that without the dams and weirs and other irrigation infrastructure that were installed and funded by irrigators the murray river would be dry, and would have been getting only seasonal flows for years now. We have proof right here, right now, that in one good year we can replenish our water storages to capacity from almost empty. And now, thanks to those irrigation dams, we can guarantee a flow down the river for years to come.
Surely the money used for all the studies, surveys and red tape would have been better used upgrading the dated channel system to reduce evaporation and seepage loss. There was never a worry about spending the money on a pipeline down to Melbourne and that is physically removing the water from the system to which it will never return. If there were more voters living in country areas things would sure be different.
And I would also like to point out, that this thread seems to have become an argument about whether we should grow rice or not. There are more people involved here than just rice growers! This proposed plan has the potential to decimate entire communities. If farmers have to leave an area, they'll also take their wives and kids. this will cripple local businesses of all sorts as well as schools, sporting clubs and other associations. there are housand of tiny communities in the affected area that are hanging by a thread and this will be the straw that broke the camels back for them. The one farmer that leaves, may have a wife that is the only teacher, or doctor, or midwife in the area.
I also have to raise the issue that we have been in drought for going on ten years now. And it is a certainty that without the dams and weirs and other irrigation infrastructure that were installed and funded by irrigators the murray river would be dry, and would have been getting only seasonal flows for years now. We have proof right here, right now, that in one good year we can replenish our water storages to capacity from almost empty. And now, thanks to those irrigation dams, we can guarantee a flow down the river for years to come.
Surely the money used for all the studies, surveys and red tape would have been better used upgrading the dated channel system to reduce evaporation and seepage loss. There was never a worry about spending the money on a pipeline down to Melbourne and that is physically removing the water from the system to which it will never return. If there were more voters living in country areas things would sure be different.
DVR
Member
That's a stupid question. I'm not against farming. I never stated anything of the kind. From my original post Ishared my grief that SA farmers have had crippling water restrictions for years and we are still growing water hungry crops for a mostly export market.
Fom the linked pages so far listed we have seen that rice was by far the highest consumer of water using 15% of water used in agriculture in 07-08 followed closely by cotton. Also 70% of rice grown in Australia in a year that production is claimed to be 70% down is EXPORTED!! Your basically selling our water overseas when we are in the middle of a drought. You ask us questions like "where will you get your food?" when most of your crop doesn't feed us. If you are now saying it doesn't make you rich either, grow something that uses less water so there's more to go around for other farmers who DONT export most of their crop and environmental flows can be maintained in the Murray.
DVR
Member
Haydos, I agree with most of what your saying. It just ticks me, and I believe, most other South Aussies that water hungry crops are grown to export (even if at reduced quantities) while down stream orange trees are dead or dying & the river is too saline to actually use for irrigation at some points in the lower reaches and the coorong became saltier that the sea.
Yes one good season has restored the water storage but the damage to the coorong is yet to be determined. We still have adverts here warning us the the river banks might not be safe. At Murray bridge a 100ft section of bank at the long island marina, just slid into the river taking cars, 1 pet cat & huge gum trees into the middle of the river blocking the river to water born traffic. Luckily the other side of the island was still open or there would have been no clear passage from upstream to downstream of Murray Bridge.
This is a huge environmental issue, not just an agricultural one.
Yes one good season has restored the water storage but the damage to the coorong is yet to be determined. We still have adverts here warning us the the river banks might not be safe. At Murray bridge a 100ft section of bank at the long island marina, just slid into the river taking cars, 1 pet cat & huge gum trees into the middle of the river blocking the river to water born traffic. Luckily the other side of the island was still open or there would have been no clear passage from upstream to downstream of Murray Bridge.
This is a huge environmental issue, not just an agricultural one.
K
Krankin
Guest
NO ONE will be able to grow ANYTHING in this country if it goes on the way it is currently and from past experience.
Question: What % of all the resources (grown, mined, logged, fished) in this country is actually CONSUMED IN THIS COUNTRY.
As for the farmer that has to leave the land or cant go on, sadly the cold hard fact is its inevitable, its allready happened, its happening now and will continue to happen.
We have to learn to adapt to new ventures.
If we continue to grow produce on such a disproportionate scale here to feed the world compared to our own needs, the land here is doomed and has been well on that path for many decades.
And yes this is the Navara forum, but, the thread is in 'general discussions/ the clubhouse'.
spose it could go to the 'rant' section.
Either way, theres nothing wrong with a good debate.
Question: What % of all the resources (grown, mined, logged, fished) in this country is actually CONSUMED IN THIS COUNTRY.
As for the farmer that has to leave the land or cant go on, sadly the cold hard fact is its inevitable, its allready happened, its happening now and will continue to happen.
We have to learn to adapt to new ventures.
If we continue to grow produce on such a disproportionate scale here to feed the world compared to our own needs, the land here is doomed and has been well on that path for many decades.
And yes this is the Navara forum, but, the thread is in 'general discussions/ the clubhouse'.
spose it could go to the 'rant' section.
Either way, theres nothing wrong with a good debate.
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jayk
Member
ya gotta remember fellas that if restrictions are not applied, the entire river will slowly die. not just our parts here in sa, but your parts all the way up to nsw, and the beginning of qld. it sucks that people will loose their livelehoods, but if change aint made almost everyone will loose it.
in sa, most of our irrigators have invested in extremely water efficient irrigation. ya wont see heaps of irrigation channels here!
also, there aint no prob in my opinion in farmers making good coin.
u guys up north have to share man!
my 2 cents
in sa, most of our irrigators have invested in extremely water efficient irrigation. ya wont see heaps of irrigation channels here!
also, there aint no prob in my opinion in farmers making good coin.
u guys up north have to share man!
my 2 cents
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