Business
21 August, 2024
Fledgling beef business lent a helping hand from government
Sam and Julia Burge are forging their own enterprise with the help of a QRIDA First Start Loan.
Nestled amongst the gidgee trees of Mokana station, south of Hughenden, a herd of cattle graze the native grass, the start of a couple’s future in Queensland’s beef industry.
Both involved in their parent’s beef operations from a young age, Sam and Julia Burge are forging their own successful beef business with the help of a QRIDA First Start Loan.
The Burges used the state government-backed loan to purchase 200 head of pregnancy tested in-calf (PTIC) heifers to accompany their existing 323 head of cattle, build their numbers and take a step forward in creating a viable beef operation.
“We approached Sam Fryer, our regional area manager, and we got the QRIDA First Start Loan,” Julia said.
“We definitely couldn’t have done it off our own back.
“Being a young family it would have just been too hard, too much.
“The first start loan has definitely given us the lift that we need.”
Sam and Julia said that growing up on their own family’s beef operations was the foundation for their passion for creating their own beef business.
“My family own a big company, Burge Grazing, so we’ve just gone off that pretty much and done our own thing off the side of that,” Sam said.
“I love it, there’s nothing else I’d do; it’s a good job.”
Julia added: “I grew up around Richmond with my family ... just being off the land as well, I guess it’s just a passion of ours and all we know.”
The low interest rates and interest-only periods were attractive features of the first start loan for the couple, making it more accessible than other financial support.
“There’s all that fun stuff like paperwork but you get through it all,” Sam said.
“It is a drawn-out process but I think you get that anywhere you go for borrowing money.
“My advice would be to do your research before you go in and just ring up and have a yarn. It’s not going to be easy, it could take a while but you’ll succeed in the end hopefully if you try hard enough.”
Julia said it was great to have local support from the North West and Gulf regional area manager.
“Sam Fryer was a great help and guided us along the way in the right directions that we needed. He told us openly and honestly what we had to provide QRIDA to get the first start loan,” she said.
QRIDA’s First Start Loan offers up to $2 million to help producers purchase livestock to start their own farm business, purchase property, carry out family succession plans or enter into lease or share-farming arrangements.