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A RIC AgriStarter Loan has two key aims: 

1. Help first generation farmers obtain their own farm business, and 2. Support next generation farm businesses with their succession plans, helping to keep Australian farms in the family. The loan can be used to refinance debt, purchase existing farm businesses, land, or infrastructure, or fund succession activities such as buying out relatives or pay succession planning costs. 

To see if an AgriStarter Loan is right for you, take our eligibility quick quiz at ric.gov.au/quickquiz 
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A RIC Farm Investment Loan can help eligible farm businesses to recover and prepare after a severe business impact from drought, natural disasters, or biosecurity event. 

The loan can be used to fund risk management activities, refinance debt to improve cash flow, enhance productivity, and paying for operating or capital expenses to build your farm business. 

To see if a Farm Investment Loan is right for you, take our eligibility quick quiz at ric.gov.au/quickquiz
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A RIC Drought Loan can help eligible farmers prepare, manage through and recover from drought. 

Fund measures including water efficiency techniques, accumulating feed reserves, pay outstanding bills, pay for fodder or water cartage, planting or restocking. 

If your farm business suffered a significant financial disruption because of drought over the past five years, you may be eligible for a Drought Loan. 

To see if a Drought Loan is right for you, take our eligibility quick quiz at ric.gov.au/quickquiz
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The variable interest rate on all concessional farm business loans including AgriStarter, Farm Investment, Drought, and AgBiz Drought, is 5.18% effective from 1 August 2024. 

RIC interest rates are only reviewed twice a year bringing some certainty to RIC customers in planning their financial forecasts Since the start-up of RIC in July 2018, RIC concessional loans have saved customers an estimated $307 million in interest repayments. Farm businesses with a concessional RIC loan benefit from no application fees, no ongoing management fees, and no penalty fees for extra or early repayment. 

RIC loans are not suitable for every farm business, eligibility criteria apply. Learn more here ric.gov.au/before-apply
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RIC loans available now for eligible farmers going through tough times

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RIC (Regional Investment Corporation) is the Australian Government's specialist farm business lender providing low-cost loans to farm businesses in financial need to assist with recovery, rebuilding and preparing for future disruptions. RIC loans also help establish first farmers and support succession planning.

RIC loans provide up to $2 million over a 10-year term with the first five years interest only, then principal and interest repayments for the next five years. The current variable interest rate is 5.18 per cent effective 1 February 2025 until it is next reviewed in 6 months. There are no fees to apply, make extra repayments, or for early loan repayments.

To be eligible, farm businesses must show that their underlying business is solid, but that they need help to recover following an unforeseen event that has financially impacted their business, like drought or other natural disasters, disease outbreaks, or pest and weed incursions.

With increasingly dry conditions in [our State / industry] and [add any other impacts outside of farmers control] affecting farmers in recent times, a RIC loan could be an option to provide much needed financial relief to help farmers get back on their feet.

RIC has various low-cost loans to support farm businesses in challenging times, including the Drought Loan, AgBiz Drought Loan, Farm Investment Loan and AgriStarter Loan.

To find out if a RIC loan is right for you with information, explainers and tools, like the new and improved RIC quick quiz eligibility checker, visit ric.gov.au/apply

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Recovery and build resilience for the future with a RIC loan

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Farmers who have experienced a significant financial impact caused by events outside of their control are encouraged to find out more about RIC loans.

Funded by the Australian Government, RIC (Regional Investment Corporation) delivers low-cost loans that can help farmers gain the financial ‘breathing space’ they need to get back on their feet after significant financial disruption from drought, natural disasters and other cumulative events.

For example, your farm business could have experienced large reductions in net cash flow, production or yield because of an external event such as flood, drought, natural disaster, disease outbreak, or unexpected market closure.

RIC loans provide up to $2 million over a 10-year term with the first five years interest only, then principal and interest repayments for the next five years. The current variable interest rate is 5.18 per cent effective 1 February 2025 until it is next reviewed in 6 months. There are no fees to apply, make extra repayments, or for early loan repayments.

Improving cash flow can enable farmers to plan, fund risk mitigation activities and adapt practices to be ready and better prepared for future impacts.

Visit the RIC website to find out more about how RIC loans can help eligible farm businesses, take our quick quiz to understand eligibility criteria and find out more before you apply.

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Free webinar - Get ‘RIC Ready’ to apply for a low-cost farm business loan

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RIC (Regional Investment Corporation), the Australian Government's specialist farm business lender is hosting a free webinar to help farm businesses, trusted advisers and interested stakeholders learn more about RIC loans.

Learn how RIC loans can improve cash flow for farmers in financial need to help manage through, recover from and rebuild after significant financial disruption from drought, natural disasters and cumulative events.

Discover more about how RIC loans enable farmers to plan, fund risk mitigation activities and adapt practices to be ready and better prepared for future impacts.

Hear from a specialist RIC Agri Lender and Rural Financial Counsellors from SA and VIC and find out the answers to common application questions.

What are RIC loans for?   
Am I eligible to apply?
What do I need to do to apply?
How does the loan process work?
Who can I talk to for guidance? 

When: 12 March 2025 from 12pm-1pm AEDT

How to register: Online at www.ric.gov.au/events

Can't attend? Register for the event to receive the recording after the webinar.