With a goal to deliver a fit for purpose, targeted agribusiness site, the team at Terra Ag are delighted with their new facility at Griffith.
Terra Ag have been operating in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation District for over a decade and the new premises is not only an investment in the region but an investment in client growth and profitability.
Managing director Mark Zanatta said the business has an established and growing clientele and the four-hectare site is easy to get around, especially for trucks to turn around and load.
“We’re out on the outskirts of town so it’s easy to cart fertilisers and chemical out of.
“It's a big investment and it is an impressive facility. We have a 100 by 50 metre fertiliser shed and an 80 metre by 40 metre chemical shed to maximise our on-site storage,” Mr Zanatta said.
The fertiliser facility is particularly impressive and was designed after extensive research on similar businesses in other Australian states.
“It wasn't a cheap thing to do but it enabled us to future proof ourselves for the next 20 years - a lot of fertiliser companies have told us that it is probably best in class.”
Fertiliser is delivered from Geelong, Port Kembla and Newcastle and dropped in the shed and then farmers access the drive through service and park on the weighbridge -they don't even have to get out of the truck.
Terra Ag also offers end-to-end business options by providing a wide range of services in conjunction with agronomic options.
“We supply fuel and oils, we supply finance, we supply water, we’ve got real estate, insurance, finance, all, all those add-ons including three full time agronomy staff.
“People walk in, and they can get what they need. We’re catering for everything across one site. We've built a big office building in front of the sheds and it's there for our customers.”
A driving force behind the business was the desire to invest in Griffith and give back to the community. This included local businesses who were major contributors to the build.
The size of the premises has enabled Terra Ag to secure fertiliser and other agricultural products and share risk, in what has been a very volatile period post-Covid.
“We went through a few months where there was very little fertiliser available, but we didn’t run out. It took a lot of work and effort to make sure people had access to what they needed.”
Terra Ag has an ownership team of Mark Zanatta, branch manager Trent Anderson and farmer Dean Salvestro - all three have farming backgrounds and strong local knowledge to better service their customer base.
The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area is home to broadacre irrigation and dryland cropping as well as viticulture and horticulture. Cotton, rice, wheat, canola and barley are the dominant crops grown in the region with water availability playing a big role in the summer options.
“Terra Ag have the best-in-class agronomic facilities, local ownership and local experience and by investing in our future, it is a great benefit to the local community,” he said.
Terra Ag is also investing in their Swan Hill store with an upgraded facility and a focus on employing local people and using local businesses.
