How resilience helped these Aussies stand tall

Award-winning Angus cattle breeders the Raff family saw that climate change in South Eastern Queensland was adding to the challenges their farm already faced. As Andrew Raff explains, that precarious weather meant diversifying was almost impossible. “We were very restricted in what we could do – everything revolved around beef cattle.”

In 2015, the Raffs decided to uproot not only their entire business but three generations of their family (Andrew and wife Anna, their four children, and Andrew’s parents, David and Jill) to King Island, Tasmania. There, mild weather and generous rainfall deliver continuous green grass. “Even if rainfall decreases 10 per cent and the temperature rises five degrees, it’ll still be a very productive place.” 

Andrew points out that the move wasn’t just to a farm in another state. “It was to an environment with its own little microclimate where you have unlimited opportunity – you can diversify at any level.”

The gamble has already paid off handsomely, Andrew reports. “Our cattle numbers have doubled, and we’ve expanded beyond beef production to provide on-demand seeding services. We’ve added lamb, and egg production and farm stays in several houses.” To add even more value, the farm is also on track to be organically certified by 2021.

While their father understood that providing for nine children on a Queensland sugar cane holding meant scaling up the family’s acreage quickly, later generations of Russos – of Russo Farms – have had to think more laterally.

For Joe Russo, the current challenge is building a business that can withstand regular price and weather fluctuations. To help keep the cash flow on an even keel, Joe added peanuts to the family’s cane crop rotation. “They’re the green manure crop that pays in two ways,” he explains. “As well as providing a stable cash crop, peanuts are a great nitrogen fixer that gives us a 15 to 20 per cent improvement in the following cane yield.” 

Today, of his four sons, one runs the sugarcane, peanut and barley production while another looks after the harvesting business. He adds with pride that “the boys have also diversified heavily into macadamias. They’ve currently got about 30,000 trees, and they’ve done that in the last two to three years.” 

It’s a fundamental change in business focus for the fourth-generation Russo farmers that gives Joe confidence in the future. “I suppose they’ve left me behind. My way of farming was a lot of brawn, but it’s all about numbers today.”

“Our clients’ resilience and ability to turn adversity into opportunity never ceases to amaze and inspire us here at NAB,” says Julie Rynski, Executive, NAB Regional and Agribusiness.

“It makes us proud to support agribusinesses through their challenging as well as easier times.”

NAB has supported Australian agribusinesses through challenging times for around 160 years. To speak to us, contact your local Agribusiness banker, or our team on 13 10 12.