By QRAA
QRAA’s low interest Sustainability Loans are providing Queensland primary producers with the opportunity to value-add to their existing operations and provide lasting benefits for their farming enterprise.
QRAA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Cameron MacMillan, says it is inspiring to see clients taking advantage of Sustainability Loans’ low interest rates to enhance production and invest in activities that add value to their product. These innovations establish new income streams and support the viability of their business as a whole.
“Sustainability Loans have long been a popular choice for producers to use to develop and expand their existing primary production enterprise. We are continuing to see our clients use these loans to implement innovative practices on-farm that have added value to their product,” he said.
“For instance, we have dairy farmer clients who have used a Sustainability Loan to establish bottling plants and small factories on farm that they use to make cheese, yoghurt and ice cream, which they then retail and wholesale.”
“Fruit and vegetable growers have also used Sustainability Loans to build cold rooms on their properties; this not only provides them with the ability to store more produce, but also enables them to have greater choice in selecting which markets they sell into and have better control over the prices they receive.”
“Being able to aggregate their harvest, allow these growers to reduce transportation costs as they can store greater quantities and not be limited to transporting small loads to nearby markets.”
Many Queensland producers are feeling the lasting benefits that Sustainability Loan finance can provide – in the 2015-16 financial year alone, QRAA approved over $32.6 million in Sustainability Loans to Queensland primary producers.
Sustainability Loans of up to $650,000 are available with fixed interest rates as low as 3.11 per cent and terms of up to 20 years,. Joint lending is also possible if more than $650,000 is required.
For more information, visit www.qraa.qld.gov.au or Freecall 1800 623 946.
