Australian rural commentator Libby Price says Australian rice production is under pressure as processor SunRice cuts jobs, after a quarter of rice farmers chose not to sow last summer.

Price says rising irrigation costs and capped water allocations in the Murray-Darling Basin pushed growers towards cheaper winter crops such as wheat and barley. Deregulation has also split supply, with a rival processor drawing growers away.

She says government water buybacks remain deeply unpopular, paying above market value while corporates and insurers speculate on water and small communities decline, with 355 gigalitres targeted for the environment.

She says a case of H5N1 bird flu has been found on the New South Wales north coast, and it is only a matter of time before it spreads.

CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.