Burkes Named Rice Grower Of The Year

Jerilderie rice growers Peter and Renee Burke have been named 2019 SunRice Grower of the Year.

The pair was recognised for both their high yields and high water use efficiency at the Ricegrowers’ Association conference and gala dinner, held in Corowa in early August. 

As long-time customers of Hutcheon & Pearce, we know the Burkes to be forward-thinking farmers unafraid to embrace new ways of doing things to get the job done. Congratulations, Peter and Renee. We look forward to seeing what you do next!

The moment Peter Burke realised he’d been named 2019 SunRice Grower of the Year, he was left speechless.

“To be honest, at the start when we got announced, we were in shock. We don’t think we’re any better than anyone else. We still don’t. We respect our abilities as farmers, but we know there’s a lot more we can and will do.”

Renee adds, “We’re proud but for us it’s more about the industry and this puts the industry in a good light. Nothing’s better than a good news story but we were back at work the next day.”

Growing up in Jerilderie the youngest of nine children, Peter describes his farming operations as mixed cropping.

“We grow rice, oats, wheat, barley and canola. They’re the main crops. It’s not a huge operation. Just a husband and wife, four kids and one employee.

“We bought the farm in ’99 and have bought another four since. This year we planted 200 hectares of rice and the year before we had 700, so we cut right back. The water situation is that it’s like a desert down here. We buy our water years out, which is quite different to the mainstream farmer.

“We’re doing it back-to-front to everyone else relying on allocation. When they don’t have any allocation, they don’t have water, but we only buy water products that deliver every year, so we aren’t relying on allocation. That means we can plan our seasons.

“We started doing that in a smaller way since 2000. In probably the last five or six years I’ve done it in a pretty big way. I did it that way because I knew right from day dot that water is king. You got water; you will do well. But you’ve got to get the right sort of product. I didn’t like having all my eggs in the one basket. You’ve got to have several different water options, and some will work one year and not the other. The way it has panned out, every single one of our water products is delivering 100% water.”

While he grew up with John Deere equipment, Peter said when he was starting out, he bought whatever he could afford, so his machinery brands resembled a rainbow. He now runs all Green – a 4730 John Deere self-propelled sprayer, two 8R John Deere tractors, a 1890 drill seeder, a 1870 parallelogram sowing machine, 1910 air seeding cart and a S680 header.

“We’ve still got the old original 4250 John Deere, 1985 model and while it doesn’t play a big role in terms of tech, it’s our runaround.

“I’m the youngest of nine and my father is still a rice grower. Mum and Dad (Rose and John Burke) were Jack Armstrong’s customers, as were Renee’s parents (Kaye and Allen Callaghan). They had Armstrong and then Hutcheon & Pearce machinery and I always used to say, ‘I’d love to get a John Deere but I just can’t afford it’ and they’d say, ‘That’s all right. We’re here when you do need something.

“Some farmers might inherit their farms, and then they might have one or two machinery loans, and off they go. Well, we had everything financed. But I’m not complaining. I think that’s a lot of my background. And probably also being the youngest child, I’ve had to fight for everything. Including meals!

“It’s good to be able to go to them for the machinery but also call TECSight about the technology. The technology has come so far, it’s a whole different way of thinking now. We’re only just coming around to it.”

Always striving

While Peter and Renee’s 2018-19 rice yield of 13tonnes/ha was 33% above the Murray Valley five-year industry average, Renee said it won’t stop them seeking to improve.

“We’re never happy with our yield and that’s probably the key to it. If we were happy with it, we would never have gotten better. Your crop is only as good as the next one you grow. So, while the yield was good and we’ve put a lot of work in over the years to make sure our team is on the same page, we’re always striving to be better.”

“When I say our team, I’m talking about our drivers, our bank manager, our workforce, our water brokers, insurance guys, even Hutcheon & Pearce. Anyone that’s associated with our business has got to fit our farm profile.

“Without everyone on the same page, it’s like turning up and playing footy without doing the preseason. You’ve got to be able to line all your dots up or those yields won’t happen.”