Janerin features outstanding soils, and has sold to Growth Farms. Photo: Ray White Rural

RECENT sales in the southern Queensland property market include the prized Janerin Aggregation at Brookstead and two of the six Carpendale Portfolio properties, while across the border, Maplemoor has sold to a nearby farmer.

Carpendale Portfolio, Qld

Tingan and Nomby have been sold out of the 13,740ha Carpendale Portfolio.

The six-holding dryland cropping aggregation was offered to the market in August last year by Australian agricultural investment firm Laguna Bay, with hopes of raising more than $90 million.

Located on the northern side of the Macintyre River, 30km north of Goondiwindi, the Carpendale Portfolio comprises:

• 2525ha Manus;
• 1948ha Tingan;
• 2167ha Nomby;
• 2576ha Bendidee;
• 3338ha Carpendale; and,
• 1186ha Mayfair.

LAWD agents Danny Thomas and Jaclyn Hope and Nutrien Harcourts Goondiwindi agent Andrew Jakins confirmed Tingan and Nomby sold separately to two local families for expansion, but were unable to disclose the price paid.

Nomby has development approval for a 20,000 SCU feedlot and access to 120ML of licenced bore water and 35ML of ground water,

They said Laguna Bay will sell the balance of the portfolio as a whole, or as four individual properties.

Most of the soil types within the entire Carpendale Portfolio are chocolate to brown self-mulching cracking clays with some lighter sandy soils, with 12,259ha, or 89 percent, considered arable.

The portfolio has grown wheat, canola, and barley in the winter months and sorghum during summer, and is also suited to growing chickpeas and corn.

Three years ago, significant capital was invested into land class development including the levelling and improvement of 1611ha of melon-hole influenced cropping land, and the conversion and levelling of 1272ha of grazing and 482ha of shade-line country.

The grain receival site has 175,000t of bunker storage and 6230t of elevated silo storage, as well as an extensive transport and logistics fleet, and is located on the 3338ha Carpendale holding.

Overall infrastructure includes multiple residences and staff accommodation, a weighbridge, silo storage and numerous sheds.

With two of the six properties in the Carpendale Portfolio sold, the vendor is holding a dispersal auction this week on the yet-to-be-sold Carpendale, which is home to a sizeable bulk-handling site fronting the Gore Highway. Photo: NASCO Auctions

Janerin Aggregation, Qld

The blue-ribbon Janerin Aggregation on Qld’s Darling Downs has been purchased by investor-owned Growth Farms.

Spanning 2896ha, it is located 13km from Brookstead and 72km from Toowoomba, and comprises four contiguous freehold irrigation properties:

• 548ha Melrose;
• 812ha Cabarita;
• 854ha Dunbar; and,
• 681ha Willowtree.

The aggregation was offloaded by Hong-Kong based Alexander Woo, aprominent leader of the textile industry, after more than 30 years of
ownership.

Growth Farms chief executive officer Martin Newnham confirmed contracts had exchanged but was unable to disclose the amount paid.

Across the portfolio, there is 2459ha of cultivation, including 2035ha of developed irrigation, growing mostly cotton and sorghum on Anchorfield soil types, described as the finest on the Darling Downs.

These deep black to dark brown, self-mulching clays typically grow wheat, barley and chickpeas in the winter months.

When the Janerin Aggregation was brought to the market in April, Ray White Rural agent Matt Cleary described each property as being well balanced, with water storages close to being full.

“This is where a group of well-established farmers in the region originally started irrigating in a broad hectare scale with flood irrigation – that is why we refer to it as ‘the home of irrigation on the Darling Downs.”’

Boasting frontage to the Condamine River and its northern branch, the Janerin Aggregation is offered with 7324ML of supplemented, unsupplemented and groundwater plus additional water harvesting, 4430ML of water storage and a share of the CP water scheme.

Infrastructure includes numerous homes and sheds, a modern grain-handling facility, and 4680t of grain storage across the four properties.

Maplemoor, NSW

A nearby farmer has paid $19M for a MacIntyre Valley irrigation and dryland cropping enterprise ending 27 years of ownership by members of the Scott family.

The 1957ha Maplemoor is located 18km east of Boomi, 34km from the Koramba Cotton Gin and 66km west of Goondiwindi in southern Qld.

The sale included 625ha of winter cereal crops including wheat and barley, along with three water allocations totalling 1412ML and a 1037ML floodplain harvesting entitlement.

Herron Todd White valuer Will McLay, who analysed the transaction, said the sale indicated values of $7200/ha, excluding water, for the developed irrigation area, $12,000/ML for the Class A water and $7000/ML for the Class B water entitlements.

Maplemoor in the Boomi district has sold to a farmer within the district. Photo: Nutrien Harcourts

Around 676ha of Maplemoor is dedicated to dryland farming on deep, black floodplain soils with excellent moisture retention capabilities.

Cotton is grown on the 511ha of protected flood irrigation which has been developed into six fields, with regulated water sourced from the MacIntyre River and an overland flow.

On the 744ha balance, the Scott family had previously run cattle.

Water is also supplied by 45ha of water storage and access to the capped and piped Baronga West Bore Scheme.

Infrastructure includes a home, a cottage, workers’ quarters, numerous sheds, a stable complex and eight silos with 326t of storage.

Nutrien Harcourts agent Andrew Jakins handled the sale.