Our Story
Thirty years helping Australian Agriculture grow
In 2025, UMS proudly marks 30 years in the pasture seed industry, a milestone that reflects three decades of dedication to Australian farmers, innovation in the Australian seed industry, and a vision for a sustainable agricultural future.
From humble beginnings in 1995, UMS has grown to become one of Australia’s largest and most progressive proprietary seed companies. Founded by the Sutherland family, the business started with a passion for providing quality pasture solutions that could support the productivity of Australian farms. That founding vision, to improve profitability and resilience for growers, remains at the heart of the company today.
A Family Legacy, A National Leader
The Sutherland family built UMS on values of integrity, hard work, and long-term commitment to agriculture. What began as a family-run business in the Upper Murray has evolved into a nationally recognised forage seed company with a vertically integrated model that spans plant breeding, seed production & processing, and national distribution via our rural retail partners
UMS has established itself as a trusted partner to farmers, with varieties tailored to Australia’s diverse climates and farming systems. The family’s entrepreneurial spirit has guided UMS’s growth, enabling the business to lead the way in plant breeding and product development, while never losing sight of its commitment to local farming communities.
Driving the Future Through Research & Development
As the agricultural landscape continues to evolve, so too does UMS. A cornerstone of the company’s success has been its considerable investment in research and development.
With R&D programs that often span a decade before commercial release, UMS is committed to delivering varieties that are not only high-performing but also adapted to the challenges of climate variability, environmental sustainability, and the diversity of Australian grazing systems.
The establishment of the UMS Research Station located in Cressy in the Tasmanian midlands in 2018 marked a significant leap forward. Today, it stands as one of the most advanced pasture research facilities in Australia, home to ongoing trials that test yield, persistence, palatability, and feed quality across a wide range of pasture species. The station also houses the UMS breeding nursery, where thousands of new plants are evaluated each year to ensure only the most productive and most resilient varieties are released.
Expansion Across Australia
While UMS’s roots remain firmly in its founding region, its footprint today is truly national. With production and distribution networks extending across every state, UMS provides seed solutions tailored to local conditions—from high rainfall dairy regions, to mixed farming enterprises, to low-rainfall grazing systems.
We trial our varieties nationwide in UMS-owned and independently manage sites, giving our customers localised results that inform strategic pasture decisions. This nation presence enables UMS to support Australian farmers wherever they are, with the right variety for their system.
Varieties That Make a Difference
Over the past 30 years, UMS has built an extensive pasture seed portfolio featuring some of Australia’s most trusted species. Highlights include:
Lavish Forage Oats
A standout variety delivering reliable feed when it’s needed most.
Torpedo Annual Ryegrass
Torpedo is the most recent tetraploid annual ryegrass to be released from the UMS’s Plant Breeding program. Torpedo is a very late maturing variety that sets a new standard in overall pasture production for annual ryegrasses.
Evolution Phalaris
Evolution is a highly grazing tolerant phalaris featuring a full growing crown and displays exceptional levels of winter growth combined with a large leaf size.
View variety
Every product in the UMS portfolio reflects the company’s focus on research, rigorous testing, and its promise to deliver solutions that create real on-farm value.
Click on your state to find your UMS Area Manager.
Learn more about UMS
Dedicated to the development and production of premium forage seed for Australian and International markets, UMS is a fully integrated seed business with a commitment to increasing productivity for farmers.
Stay up to date with UMS
We are always in the paddock or carrying out trials at the UMS Research Station, making sure our varieties are performing. Keep an eye on our socials for all the things we are getting up to!
