June 18, 2020

By Lynda Kiernan, Global AgInvesting Media

Parkdale

After a century of ownership, the Taylor family has put the Parkdale cotton aggregation on the market.

Spanning 2,950 hectares (7,289 acres), Parkdale straddles the Whalan Creek floodplain. Its sale is being managed on behalf of pioneering cotton grower Wally Taylor by Clayton Smith of JLL Agribusiness and Andrew Jakins of Nutrien Harcourts, who stated that the water entitlements totaling 8,932 megaliters alone will push the value of the sale beyond $20 million.

“It is a privilege to be listing the aggregation on behalf of Wally Taylor, who is a highly regarded identity in the Australian cotton industry,” said the agents. “Wally was one of the earliest cotton growers in the Macintyre Valley and his contributions to the agricultural sector are considerable.”

In addition to the entitlements that include river allocations from the Indari and Glenlyon dams, the property also sees rainfall patterns throughout both the summer and winter, providing flexibility to growers interested in both cotton and winter cereals. 

“This proven aggregation is an efficient, profitable and reliable irrigated cotton cropping platform, which benefits from an enviable location and soft fertile alluvial soils,” said Clayton Smith.

“Considerable operational efficiencies are achieved via a mix of overhead trickle/sprinkler delivery, channel gate supply, traditional syphon flood irrigation and ease of management, all of which present a buyer with the unique opportunity to acquire a proven standalone enterprise.”

Expressions of interest for Parkdale can be submitted to Smith or Jakins up until close on July 30.

Heavin Farms

Along the Murrumbidgee River in the South West Slopes region, Diane and Gary Heavin, the Texas-based co-founders of the gym franchise Curves, are listing four parcels of land that make up Heavin Farms: Riverbend (1,547 hectares); Donna Valley (1,193 hectares); Woolaway (302 hectares); and Tooracol (653 hectares).

The aggregation presents a high-value cattle, lamb, and wool opportunity with average yearly rainfall of 700-900 millimeters, 14 kilometers of frontage on the Murrumbidgee River for all four properties, four homesteads, and all working infrastructure.

The largest of the parcels, Riverbend, has a local lease in place for grazing cattle and sheep that will expire in September, at which point it will have an estimated carrying capacity of 500 head of cattle and 1,500 head of ewes.

Donna Valley had been carrying 4,500 Merino, with cattle added at a later date, while Tooracol has capacity for 200-250 head of cattle or 1,600-1,800 ewe, and Woolaway has capacity for 120-150 head of cattle or 1,000-1,200 ewes. 

The parcels are being offered by auction in separate blocks on July 28, according to David Nolan of Webster Nolan Real Estate and Jake Smith, of Elders Gundagai, the agents managing the sale.

It is estimated that Riverbend will sell for $7-$8 million, Donna Valley for $3.5-$4 million, Tooracol for $3.3 – $3.8 million, and Woolaway for $1.8-$2.2 million. 

Gunnedah Portfolio

Looking to the Liverpool Plains in New South Wales, the Kilburnie Cattle Company is selling its Gunnedah Portfolio: a cropping and beef backgrounding platform that is expected to attract wide ranging interest and to fetch more than $25 million. 

With beef finishing and year-round cropping capacity, Gunnedah spans a total of 2,550 hectares (6,301 acres) across five properties –

Kilburnie – 672  hectares (1,660.5 acres)
Teneriffe – 1,057 hectares  (2,612 acres)
Frogmore Irrigation – 307 hectares  (758 acres)
Pullaming – 290 hectares  (716 acres)
And Phantoms Run – 222 hectares  548.5 acres)

The portfolio as a whole is highly arable at 83 percent, and is suitable for both dryland and irrigated production. It currently runs 3,100 head of cattle, using dryland and irrigated grain and fodder as part of a “feed assisted” grazing model, according to Beef Central, that stated that there are also eight new feed/machinery sheds to implement this feeding system. 

Various improvements have been undertaken across the portfolio over the past decade including the creation of pastures, fencing redesign, and water improvements, offering what Sam Triggs of Inglis Rural Property calls “one of the best assets on the Liverpool Plains”.

Expressions of interest for Gunnedah can be submitted to Inglis Rural Property until the closing date of July 15.

– Lynda Kiernan is editor with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, and HighQuest Group’s Oilseed & Grain News. She is also a contributor to the GAI Gazette. She can be reached at lkiernan@globalaginvesting.com.