Senior government officials touring Australia to learn rice farming

A team of senior government officials, including key State ministers, are on a week-long tour of Riverina district in New South Wales, Australia, to learn commercial rice farming.
Trukai Industries Ltd chief executive Greg Worthington-Eyre, pictured, said the informational tour to the Riverina rice-growing region was to give the Government delegation the opportunity to see and understand the nature, complexity, scale and professionalism of the Australian rice industry.
“Trukai Industries Ltd is two-thirds owned by SunRice Australia, who are seen across the Asia Pacific region as the experts in rice marketing,” he said. “Their support for Trukai in its rice development activities is significant. Much of Trukai’s expertise is drawn from this relationship with Sunrice. I hope that this informational tour will help them understand better the science behind commercial rice farming.”
Worthington-Eyre said the operations in Riverina were vast, 100 per cent vertically-integrated and world-class in their quality, scientific programmes, use of technology, milling, packing and marketing.
“Trukai has modelled a number of its rice development plans using the knowledge of these elements of the Riverina system,” he said.
“It is therefore very relevant to PNG as we commence our own journey towards a domestic rice industry.”
The delegates will visit SunRice’s manufacturing facilities in Leeton, Deniliquin, Rice Research Australia Pty Ltd in Riverina followed by ministerial meetings in Canberra with Australian government on matters of interest for the two governments.
The tour is being organised by Trukai Industries PNG Ltd and the Australian government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.