NSW rice growers are hailing a return to the "good old days" with a million-tonne crop planned for next year as headers harvest the current crop.

About 30 per cent of growers plan to expand their area under rice to help with weed control, reduce herbicide costs and as a break crop.

This is despite this season's run of mice damage, boggy harvesting conditions and some of the lowest prices in years.

Twelve hundred growers in the Murray, Coleambally and Murrumbidgee irrigation areas have already delivered 342,000 tonnes of the expected 800,000 tonne crop.

Average yields have ranged from a low 7.5-8 tonnes/ha in the Murray Valley to 12-13 tonnes/ha in the Murrumbidgee.

SunRice chief executive Gary Helou said the industry may be on track to planting a million-tonne crop next year.

But Mr Helou refused to be drawn on 2010-11 first-advance prices, saying shareholders would be officially updated soon.

NSW Department of Primary Industries leader rice farming systems John Lacy said grower feedback put next year's crop at 1.2 million tonnes.

"There is a lot of water available for the next crop," Mr Lacy said.

Many crops had suffered 5-10 per cent mice damage, with hot spots at Griffith and Deniliquin.

"The mice have been worse near crossovers, dams and lodged stubbles, and where grain was dropped on the ground," he said.

Leeton grower Steve Dufty is wrapping up his 150ha harvest of langi and sherpa varieties.

"This is up from zero last year and a 40ha crop in 2008 damaged by locusts," Mr Dufty said.

"It is good to have anything in the rotation."

Mr Dufty said mice damage had been restricted to the crop perimeters.

"We started harvest on April 1," he said.

"This is later than normal due to cooler weather.

"The crops were sown aerially in late October and early November because of the plague locust risk."

On the back of an average water use of 9ML/ha, Mr Dufty expects sherpa to yield an average of 12.5 tonnes/ha.

With first-advance long and short grain prices under $200/tonne, he is unsure about sowing rice again next year.

Last week his neighbour, Dean Walsh, was busy harvesting 243ha of langi and sherpa.

Although Mr Walsh was achieving average yields of 10 tonnes/ha, boggy conditions were prolonging harvest.

Growers are now waiting for an independent review, due late this month, on the proposed $600 million buy-up of SunRice by Spanish company Ebro.