The Natural Rice Co.
The Natural Rice Co. (NRC) is a unique enterprise not just in the Northern Rivers, but in a national context too. This Kyogle-based food business is one of only two Australian companies that supplies rice to major supermarkets, and indeed the only company that supplies the environmentally-friendly, increasingly popular dryland rice (rice grown without irrigation). It’s fair to say NRC has carved out a special niche for itself, and enjoyed ongoing success, since its launch in 2015.
The company – founded and directed by Nelson Green, who’d previously built his family’s business Green’s Foods and listed it on the Australian Stock Exchange – initially emerged at that time to act as a connection between small rice growers in the local area, and the large commercial rice sector.
“None of the small businesses were able to supply commercial amounts of rice,” says manager Steve Rogers (a grower himself), “so NRC was created to commercialise the rice industry in the Northern Rivers.
“NRC saw a great opportunity on the Northern Rivers due to the fact that the rice grown in this area is not irrigated, which gives great environmental benefits and also a point of difference in the Australian rice industry. Due to climatic and agronomic reasons, our dryland rice cannot be grown anywhere else in NSW, which makes the Northern Rivers unique.”
NRC went from working with seven growers in its first year to contracting over 30 today – enough to have established the Northern Rivers Rice Growers Association (NRRGA).
This success is all the more impressive when you consider the number of curveballs that have been thrown at NRC since its inception – and not just floods, fires and pandemic. That other Australian company that supplies rice to supermarkets, a large organisation based in the Riverina, has what essentially amounts to a monopoly on the Australian rice industry. And it is this environment that NRC entered (and disrupted). Dryland rice, Steve says, “gives us that point of difference and allows us to compete in the domestic market.” Yet that other company remains the only Australian company allowed to export rice; NRC can only trade domestically.
Those environmental credentials are at the heart of NRC. Rice that is traditionally grown in the irrigated paddy system can use, Steve says, 200,000 Olympic swimming pools of water per year – dryland rice therefore saves water on a huge scale. The paddy system also produces large amounts of methane.
“Farmers are resilient and we supported them the best we could through the tough time”

“Studies have shown that the only way to reduce methane is to grow [rice] without any submergence in water. So not only are our growers saving our rivers by not irrigating, but they are also reducing the impact from rice on our climate.
“We are a member of the Sustainable Rice Platform, an international body created to improve rice’s impact on the environment.”
The Covid-19 pandemic saw a significant spike in rice sales as everyone rushed to stock their pantries – something that benefitted NRC. The business was, however, hit hard by the floods of February 2022. “We lost 70 per cent of our crop,” says Steve. “With stocks we had on hand, we were able to maintain our existing clients but could not capitalise on some new opportunities in the market.
“Farmers are resilient and we supported them the best we could through the tough time, so they are ready to plant the new-season crop in November. The loss of production also meant that we had delayed some major capital work for 12 months.
“A lot of growers lost everything in the recent floods, not just crops but houses and machinery. It’s their ability to rise above and continue farming that we believe shows resilience in the community and gives us the confidence to continue to invest in our rice industry. Having so much interest from local growers to supply us makes us feel we are on track with our business.”
NRC currently employs five people at its Kyogle site, with plans to double that during 2023. A new warehouse and rice mill is also on the cards for the next two years. The company extends its reach into the local community by sponsoring the Kyogle Turkeys rugby league team and many events, while it also enjoys a research partnership with Southern Cross University (SCU) that focuses on agronomics and variety rice breeding.
“Our main ambition is to be Australia’s number one environmentally sustainable rice company, supplying low-emission, non-irrigated rice into pantries all over Australia,” says Steve. “Hopefully one day the government will allow us to also have an export licence and put Northern Rivers rice in pantries all over the world.”
Share this story
Read more stories
reinventing a special highway town
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/rod-n-reel-woodburn-northern-rivers-002.jpg 1920 1080 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/rod-n-reel-woodburn-northern-rivers-002.jpgRod n Reel Hotel
Woodburn NSW is a charming riverside town with which is about to embark on a transformation. When the Pacific Highway bypass is completed…
when opportunity knocks…
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/horizon-motorhomes-ballina-002.jpeg 1600 1067 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/horizon-motorhomes-ballina-002.jpegHorizon Motorhomes
When a campervan arrived on Clayton Kearney’s used car yard in 1995, and sold in seconds flat, he realised there was a gap in the market…
Heart and Soul of a region
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Michael-Hampson-outside.jpg 1500 2250 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Michael-Hampson-outside.jpgNorco Co-operative
Norco has an impressive origin story.
Step back in time for ‘reel’
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Yamba-Cinema-Debbie-scaled.jpg 2560 1920 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Yamba-Cinema-Debbie-scaled.jpgYamba Cinema
Yamba Cinema is not just a popular venue to see the latest movie in an idyllic Northern Rivers town.
A community cornerstone bouncing forward
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Coraki-Post-Office.jpeg 2048 1260 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Coraki-Post-Office.jpegCoraki Post Office
For all that has been thrown at the small town of Coraki in recent times, the owners of the town’s post office are rolling with the punches.
carefully crafted business success
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Evans-Head-Cabinetry-001.jpg 2000 1041 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Evans-Head-Cabinetry-001.jpgEvans Head Cabinet Making
“People often say, ‘They don’t build things like they used to’,” says fine furniture and cabinet maker Justin Crisp. “But I can confidently say…”
growing community, growing business
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/All-ways-The-Farm.jpeg 1600 1066 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/All-ways-The-Farm.jpegThe Farm
It’s a typical Saturday morning at The Farm, on the outskirts of Byron Bay. Families line up for freshly made pastry and coffee. Every table in the…
flying high, with a helicopter view
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/air-tg-ballina-helicpoters-002.jpg 800 531 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/air-tg-ballina-helicpoters-002.jpgAir T&G
Northern Rivers is well known for its breathtaking natural beauty, and imagine if your day at the office involved enjoying these views from the air…
planting natural beauty
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/biologi-product-shot-scaled.jpg 2048 2560 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/biologi-product-shot-scaled.jpgBiologi
There was a little bit of the “weird spirit of Byron Bay” in the 2017 creation of the natural skincare range, Biologi, says co-owner Lucy Macdougald of her chance meeting with Ross Macdougald, who is now both her business partner and husband…
riding the wave of success
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/glass-lab-tweed-heads-002.jpg 1000 661 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/glass-lab-tweed-heads-002.jpgThe Glass Lab
Adam Wessel may have worked in surfboard factories since the age of 16, but it was a stint in the luxury yachting industry that sowed the…
Brothers spirit and legacy lives on
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/JNotaris_Donna-scaled.jpg 1920 2560 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/JNotaris_Donna-scaled.jpgJ. Notaras & Sons
J. Notaras & Sons owes its existence, strong identity and ongoing success to the dreams of two brothers of Greek ancestry.
From trauma to business transformation
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Our-Cow.jpg 1620 1080 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Our-Cow.jpgOur Cow
For Casino-based meat providers Our Cow, the last three years have seen remarkable, game-changing growth.
following her art’s desires
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Bingara_Angela-Parr-scaled.jpg 2560 2198 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Bingara_Angela-Parr-scaled.jpgBingara Gallery
If she wasn’t painting wild animals and birds, artist Angela Parr, 62, would most likely be rescuing them, healing them, or advocating for them…
putting the business into ‘show business’
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Brainstorm-Productions-image2-scaled.jpg 2560 1709 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Brainstorm-Productions-image2-scaled.jpgBrainstorm Productions
You might think that COVID-19 would rattle a business that delivers educational theatre into schools. But the “show must go on” mentality runs deep for Brainstorm Productions’ founder and artistic director Jenny Johnson…
It was time the level the paying field
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Zepto-image-e1669713021167.jpg 1500 562 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Zepto-image-e1669713021167.jpgZepto
What do you do next after more than a decade building up a Byron Bay skydiving business to become a national success and then stepping back after listing it on the Australian Stock Exchange?
old-fashioned approach reaps rewards
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/kyogle_country_Store_002.jpg 1000 667 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/kyogle_country_Store_002.jpgKyogle Country Store
It feels like a brave decision, buying a hardware and rural supplies store in the age of the corporate superstores. Though it was a challenge…
Townsend taproom breakthrough brews
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Sanctus-Brewing.jpg 1123 627 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Sanctus-Brewing.jpgSanctus Brewing Co.
When Sanctus Brewing Co. began life in 2019, there was no indication that the brewery would go on to enjoy the immense success it has over the last three years.
Art of Glass
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Tweed-Coast-Glass_product-shot.jpg 541 817 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Tweed-Coast-Glass_product-shot.jpgTweed Coast Glass
Anyone who lives between the Gold Coast and Ballina with even a passing involvement in the building trade will be familiar with Tweed Coast Glass.
overtures of romance and style
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Osteria-Tweed-Coast.jpg 1000 667 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Osteria-Tweed-Coast.jpgOsteria
Mark Wilson, Lia Mason and Lee Middendorf all met when the three of them were working in hospitality jobs at The Sandbar …
let there be light
https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/northern_lights-_ballina_northern_rivers_001.jpg 2000 1333 In Good Company | Northern Rivers In Good Company | Northern Rivers https://ingoodcompanynorthernrivers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/northern_lights-_ballina_northern_rivers_001.jpgNorthern Light
“I eat a pot of honey every day and I’ve been stung more than 70,000 times,” says Jeffrey Gibbs, founder of Northern Light, an organic beeswax…