General News
3 March, 2026
Melon farmers bounce back
FOR Mathew and Sarah Di Mauro, farming is more than a business, it is a legacy.
As third and fourth-generation sugarcane growers from El Arish on Queensland’s Cassowary Coast, the couple have spent their lives connected to the land, now growing both cane and watermelons and building their future in one of the state’s most productive yet weather-exposed regions.
Over the past decade, their journey has been shaped by growth, perseverance and a strong partnership with the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA), which the couple say has supported them through their first slice into farm ownership as well as the challenges of disaster recovery.
“I had an opportunity to grab a bit of dirt through QRIDA. Sam Spina (QRIDA regional area manager for Far North Queensland) was the one who helped us out with getting that,” Mr Di Mauro said.
Like many young farming families, the Di Mauros faced challenges breaking into farm ownership, despite their deep generational ties to agriculture.
While they had experience and ambition, securing commercial finance through traditional lenders proved difficult.
“We had a few options with other banks and we got told no, it was a big push to try and make it happen,” Mr Di Mauro said.
“Sam came down over many weeks and sat down and told us where we needed to be and where to get to.”
Mr Spina, initially met the couple around eight years ago, when they began exploring pathways to owning their first farming operation.
“We were able to get together and, with Mathew in the background telling us what he wanted to do and Sarah in the foreground putting together all the paperwork, we were able to get them their first First Start application,” he said.
QRIDA’s First Start Loan is designed to help aspiring growers who are not yet viable to establish and grow towards long-term sustainability.
For the Di Mauros, the loan provided the stepping stone they needed to transition from leasing land to ownership and to gradually scale their mixed farming operation.
“Mathew and Sarah are on their third First Start Loan because they have been growing their business in stages and the last stage that we helped them with was to buy their first large farm,” Mr Spina said.
That steady, staged growth has allowed the couple to strengthen their position across both sugarcane and watermelon production, diversifying income and building resilience in a region where seasonal conditions can change rapidly.
“Having Sam there was a big help for us. He’d drive up here and he’d sit with us on the patio and we’d get through it,” Mr Di Mauro said.
Beyond business growth, the Di Mauros’ relationship with QRIDA has also extended to disaster recovery, following severe weather events that have impacted the Far North in recent years.
In December 2023, Tropical Cyclone Jasper caused widespread flooding and damage along the Cassowary Coast, affecting crops, infrastructure and access across farms.
“Mathew and Sarah were able to access the Exceptional Disaster Grant for Cyclone Jasper. (The cyclone) caused a lot of damage across paddocks as well as drains and crossings, and Mathew and Sarah were able to access money to help them put their farms back together,” Mr Spina said.
Read More: El Arish