Staff story - Dusanka Milunovic

It was a serendipitous moment for Dusanka Milunovic, who had never heard of the company, but was moving west only a couple of days later.

“I actually didn't think that I would get the job,” Dusanka says.

“I was working in breeding, and I dealt with the sales reps who sent me results for onion trials so I knew what was involved, but with English as my second language, and being female, I really didn't think they will call me.”

Dusanka’s story is the stuff of inspirational novels. Of overcoming adversity, war, the love and sacrifice for family, and at the very heart of it all, a passion for agriculture and to make life better for all.

“I was born and raised in small village in Bosnia,” Dusanka says.

“I inherited a passion for agriculture from my parents and chose to study agriculture because I believe food is the most important thing for people.”

Dusanka had “big plans” to improve agriculture in Bosnia, but after only six years in the field, war came to the region and she was forced to flee with her husband, Ranko, in 1992. The young couple settled on the Central Coast, just out of Sydney.

“We then moved to Newcastle, thinking that Ranko will find a job in the coal mines, but the mining industry had higher requirements for English and language was a big barrier for us,” she says.

“Language is a very complex thing, and it came down to an ability to survive. I wasn’t confident speaking English; I just tried my best to explain myself – like with my hands or with my face gestures or whatever. Just to pass that communication.”

After a stint in Narrabri, near the border of NSW and Queensland, as a technical officer at Cotton Research Station for the Department of Agriculture, Dusanka and Ranko moved to the small town of Narromine, 40 kilometres west of Dubbo for a role with Enza Zaden, formerly Yates. At this time, they had two young sons, Marko, five, and Nikola, seven.”

“I worked on onions for just over three years. It was amazing and I learned a lot. But as a family, we couldn't settle, my husband was working casual jobs, like painting, he wanted to go to WA because of his mining profession. I thought, ‘That's the end of my career in agriculture’ and it was very, very hard for me to leave that breeding job.”

On her last day, a visiting lettuce breeder might have changed the trajectory of Dusanka’s life.

“He passes me the Good Fruit and Vegetables magazine with the Rijk Zwaan advertisement and says, ‘Here is a job for you in Perth’. When I came home, I was about to disconnect the computer, because we were leaving on Monday, but I updated my resume and applied.”

An honest interview in Perth followed.

“I was impressed with the company because they were so realistic,” Dusanka says. “I'm not a pushy person and that’s how I thought the sales position could be. However, the Rijk Zwaan team said, ‘No, we need somebody to work with our customers’ and how they explained it, I could see myself in it.”

Dusanka in WA, with Rijk Zwaan lettuce.

“That is how we work even now. We work in a way that we’re supporting customers, and from that, we sell seed. They're our partners and I really love that. I want my customers to see me as somebody who is part of their business and who can help them make succeed with a great product.”

One of Dusanka’s legacies is introducing the celery variety, Kelvin RZ to WA growers. In the Mediterranean climate of WA, celery typically bolts during October-December making year-round production almost impossible. Kelvin RZ doesn’t bolt in this zone.

“One of my growers said to me, ‘This is unbelievable, this is an amazing variety. Thank you, Dusanka!’ and I said, ‘I'm just the last link, there's so many people involved’. That was really special,” Dusanka says.

Dusanka is eternally optimistic. When the WA industry shifted and she saw smaller growers close their farms, she was grateful they could sell their land for a good price. When she had to settle in a new country, she focused on the peace it provided. Dusanka found a passion for bee keeping, drawing strength from the hard-working, resilient, and social nature of bees. She’s also forever grateful for the extended family she found at Rijk Zwaan.

“I was really lucky to run into Rijk Zwaan 21 years ago, I received lots of personal and professional help during that time,” Dusanka says.

“Especially for mothers, I believe when you have a family, when you get the right support at right time, it gives you power and strength that you can contribute. Rijk Zwaan is always there to support you and that’s what sets this company apart.”

“Now we have this younger generation, and everybody is so passionate and I really enjoying working with the whole team. There are amazing people.”

For someone who emits love and warmth, and who doesn’t run from a challenge, it comes as no surprise that Dusanka’s favourite vegetable is capsicum because, “It's so versatile but it’s not that easy. To grow, you need good conditions; and you need that warmth”.

Dusanka (centre) with colleagues Annie and Frances