People mostly think of the centre of Australia as a desert, a place where water is in short supply.
It’s not somewhere you’d stick a pin in when you were searching for a water-reliant business but that’s just what John and Angela Frith have done.
The brainchild of John’s father and well-known Roma producer Charlie Frith, the couple is overseeing a hay-growing venture on their Neutral Junction Irrigation Farm about 350km north of Alice Springs.
“We purchased Neutral Junction in 2002 as a breeding operation but this opportunity came up along the way,” John said.
“Everyone’s challenge here is freight. if we can produce hay at the same cost as the Lockyer Valley and halve the freight cost, that would be attractive to locals.”
They sell a big square bale of Reclaimer Rhodes grass hay for $150, which is comparable to prices out of South Australia.
Although only in their second season, they are in the process of developing another 90ha and expanding the operation.
It’s all part of the excitement offered by the Northern Territory, according to John.
“There’s so much opportunity and a lot of people wanting to have a go.”
The Friths own 23,000 acres around Roma and property at Morven, along with the 450,000 hectare Northern Territory property. They are running around 6000 Droughtmaster breeders.
John said they liked the economy of scale offered by the Northern Territory.
Despite its staffing challenges, they have employed a great team, including mechanical engineer John Thompson to advise on bores, irrigating and the engineering side of the business, and an agronomist doing soil testing and advising on minerals, and fertiliser and water needs.
“We’ve done a bit of broadacre farming at Roma, but we prefer to bring people with experience into our team,” John said.
Although unwilling to say just how big the irrigation business might get, saying it could depend on supply and demand, John and Angela are encouraged by the strong cattle markets in the region.
“The best thing about this, and about having a cattle operation in the Northern Territory, is that it gives you another option,” Angela said.
“Here, we can sell cattle to live export and for slaughter to South Australia.”
