Sixteen years after establishing their dairy farm, Brodie and Kevin Game from the Bega Valley in New South Wales now run over 700 Holstein cows, supplying 2.8 million litres of milk a year to Bega Cheese.
Diversification of Brodie and Kevin’s enterprise to raise male progeny as steers for beef production supported the sustainable growth of their farm. Yet, after enduring drought between 2017 and 2019, followed by bushfires and floods, many challenges were presented along the way.
“Every disaster has changed the management of our business because it’s not an ‘if’ these things will happen again, it’s a ‘when’, and now there’s different levers we can pull to get through things,” Brodie says.
Floods between 2020 and 2022 caused significant pasture losses and eroded cow lanes and waterways on the Games’ farm. In order to mitigate the impacts of future disruptions, the couple turned to a Farm Investment Loan from Regional Investment Corporation (RIC) to recover and improve their on-farm infrastructure.
Since 2018, and as of March 2026, RIC has delivered low-interest farm business loans on behalf of the Australian Government to more than 3,500 Australian farmers, and valued at over $3.77 billion.
RIC loans can be used to prepare for, manage and recover from tough financial times due to drought,
natural disasters, biosecurity issues or other significant market events. They can also help established farmers to create new businesses, first generation farmers, or succession planning for next generation farmers.
For Brodie and Kevin, a RIC loan funded the purchase of a pivot to irrigate and deliver increased nutrients to an additional 35 hectares of pasture – a significant upgrade on the existing inefficient bike shift irrigation they’d been using.
“Homegrown feed is the most cost-efficient way to feed our cows, and in this area there can be six weeks between wet and dry periods, so our pastures are vital,” explains Brodie. “For the irrigation systems we had in place, maintaining that was very labour intensive.”
RIC’s low, variable interest rate of 5.18 per cent, interest-only repayment period, and no-application or early-exit fees provided attractive terms to help manage the farm’s cash flow as the improvements were made.
“The interest-only period for the first five years of the 10-year loan term was very enticing because it gave us more time to install the pivot and pay the money back once it made money for us,” Brodie said.
Before applying, farmers can check their eligibility and speak with their accountant or rural financial counsellor, and notify their bank, as they’ll likely need to share loan security. Good preparation can make the application process smoother, and shorten the time period to receive a decision.
During tough times, RIC is helping strengthen Australian farms. For more information on RIC’s loans, visit ric.gov.au, or call 1800 875 675.
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