A new player has entered the agribusiness finance market, promising to shake things up for Australian farmers.
Farmers' Finance Australia (FFA), which features some of Australia’s most prominent brokers, was launched to capture the $120 billion agribusiness sector while providing farmers with the opportunity to cultivate wealth from the ground up.
“We have ambitious growth plans to help as many farming families and communities as we can to build wealth through property,” said FFA CEO Christian Stevens, an award-winning broker who only recently launched FFA’s parent brokerage, Flint Financial, in February.
“At Farmers' Finance Australia, we understand the unique challenges and needs of our rural communities. Our goal is to ensure that hardworking farmers have access to the best machinery, equipment, property, and agribusiness finance options available, no matter how complex their requirements might be.”
To achieve this, Stevens said he hopes to expand its team, enhance its service offerings, and build strategic partnerships that empower farmers across Australia.
“By delivering tailored finance solutions and providing unparalleled support, we will be the go-to brokerage for all agribusiness finance needs,” Stevens said.
While Farmers' Finance Australia is a newly established brand, its national team includes more than forty specialised brokers, supported by an additional sixty staff.
Stevens said the few key people listed on the website represent only a small portion of its broader team.
“They are the best in the business,” according to Stevens. “Many of the bigger brokers involved have other businesses within separate niches. They will continue to work in those companies but will also be providing ongoing support for Farmers Finance clients.”
“There is a significant demand for quality brokers in this sector, which is why we have launched Farmers' Finance Australia – to give farmers access to top-notch expertise and more support. We are here to help farmers unlock their farms' full potential.”
Some of these include:
Jean-Pierre Gortan:
Isabella Constantinou:
Chris Bates:
Scott Rumble:
“Our team's exceptional experience is evident by the awards they have received, and the more than $10 billion worth of collective loans lodged to date,” said Stevens.
While Farmers' Finance Australia is a standalone agribusiness brand within the evolving Flint network, the team hoped to expand the reach of its offering through “the biggest partnership in industry history”.
After half a year of planning, Stevens said the new organisation has partnered with Australian Community Media (ACM).
The large rural media publication network has been a trusted voice of regional communities for more than a decade, with a weekly audience of almost 80% of every rural household in Australia.
“Given the strong demand in the sector and the audience that ACM Agri has access to, we have ambitious growth plans over the next 12 months. We will also get access to more than three hundred ACM sales staff on the ground who will be rolling out our offering locally across the country,” said Stevens.
“FFA will go to market across all the 160 regional publications and more than one hundred community-based websites – including all of the agricultural titles – reaching several million people every month.”
Winner of the 2023 FBAA Financial Broker of the Year – Residential award, some might question why Stevens wants to expand into agri-business.
Stevens said what he enjoys most about collaborating with farmers is the opportunity to “genuinely make a big difference in their lives and their communities”.
“Farming families are the backbone of our country and helping them unlock the full potential of their farms brings immense satisfaction to me and the whole Farmers' Finance Australia team,” he said.
“Whether it's finding the right finance solution for new equipment, expanding their operations, or saving on their existing facilities, it's incredibly rewarding to support hardworking Australians in cultivating their success and building a prosperous future.”
“The gratitude and trust that farmers place in us make it all worthwhile.”
What do you think about FFA’s foray into agribusiness? Comment below.
