AAM executive general manager poultry Alan Parnham (second from left) with the Chris, Dan and Nick Coaster-Garton. Photo: AAM

AAM Investment Group (AAM) has made its first purchase in Queensland poultry with its purchase of Kirchberg Poultry Farm near Rathdowney in the Scenic Rim region.

AAM managing director Garry Edwards said the RSPCA-accredited property was a strategic addition to the company’s portfolio of almost $1 billion of assets under management, and sits within the AAM Diversified Agriculture Fund (ADAF).

“Our foundational philosophy is to invest in different geographic regions and across different commodity supply chains to maximise risk management of diversified income streams by achieving scale, operational efficiency and growing value,” Mr Edwards said.

“This acquisition complements the existing poultry pillar within ADAF and will be the first of what we hope to be a meaningful expansion into the poultry industry in Queensland.

“Australians are consuming more than 50 kilograms of chicken meat each year per person in our national population, and as such, AAM is committing to increasing our poultry investment as an important part of our strategy of providing high-quality food and fibre to Australia’s population.”

Kirchberg Poultry Farm has eight tunnel-ventilated sheds with a total capacity for 312,000 birds, and has been supplying to Ingham’s. Photo: C1 Realty

Kirchberg Farms has been family owned since 1995 and Mr Edwards said AAM was looking forward to continuing to build on the excellent work already accomplished at the property.

“This farm is a standout asset in south-east Queensland and testament to the Coaster-Garton family’s dedication to the industry and best-practice poultry management,” Mr Edwards said.

“Since 2018 we have made a number of operational and environmental improvements across our poultry assets, and we will take some of those lessons on board to ensure that we are achieving sustainable and efficient operations for the best environmental outcomes.

“One of our key priorities will be to finalise the conversion of the farm from commercial production to a facility that accommodates free-ranging chickens.

“As the family move on to their next phase, we will be recruiting two new staff members to fill the vacancies left by the previous owners, and we are excited to retain the expertise of the existing management and employees at the site.”

ADAF already includes the Southern Cross Poultry Fund, which comprises 11 poultry farms in South Australia.

Source: AAM