The Balls are believed to have secured Manbijim, a significant irrigated holding, from Mat Stott. Mr Stott had planted cotton on the property during his ownership. Photo: CRDC

THE BALL Group, a very private, large-scale northern New South Wales-based family farming enterprise, has expanded its footprint in the burgeoning Ord Valley irrigated cropping region, acquiring 2500ha of land and securing additional lease agreements.

Water entitlements are estimated to be more than 42,500 megalitres.

The company joins a growing list of established southern farmers investing in northern Australia, reflecting confidence in the region’s potential as an untouched agricultural powerhouse of the future.

The Ball Group, owned by Hugh and Sarah Ball, operates from the couple’s 8300ha broadacre and irrigated Norwood Agriculture holding located near Moree.

The Balls purchased Norwood in 2020, along with the adjoining Midkin South, from Sarah’s father Peter Glennie, to form the expanded aggregation, which currently grows cotton and sorghum over summer in rotation with wheat, barley, canola, chickpeas, and faba beans over winter.

The Balls previously owned Oodnadatta, a 5300ha dryland farming property, also in the Moree region, which they sold to Viridis Ag in 2019.

The large-scale targeted investment in northern Australia will allow the Balls to diversify their holdings, expand production potential, and mitigate risk.

As experienced cotton and broadacre growers, the Balls bring valuable expertise and technology adoption to Western Australia’s Ord region, strengthening its knowledge base and supporting the crop’s exciting expansion opportunities.

Possible property purchase

Grain Central has not confirmed which properties the Ball Group have purchased as part of their Ord expansion, nor where the company’s existing northern Australian holdings are located.

However, all indications suggest that Manbijim Farms is among the properties acquired by the Balls.

Last year, the Balls registered a company under the name Manbijim Land Pty Limited and, within weeks, the business name, Manbijim Agriculture, was registered with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission.

Located near Kununurra in Ord Stage 2, the property covers about 1600ha which Riverina-based cotton and mixed cropping farmer Mat Stott is believed to have owned since at least 2020.

It is unclear who owned the property before this.

In 2009 the 1379ha Manbijim Farm, then known as Green Swamp, was brought to market by a consortium of farmers, including Robert Boshammer and Tim Croot.

It was then considered “the largest irrigation property” in the Ord Valley, and was expected to fetch around $12 million.

At the time, the property came with a 19,601ML water licence.

Confidence in Ord investment

The Balls join a growing list of agricultural families and corporations investing in northern Australia’s broadacre crop potential.

Large-scale grain and cotton grower Ron Greentree has invested heavily in the north, including partnering with Kimberley Agriculture Investments to cultivate Knox Plains in Ord Stage 2 near the Northern Territory-WA border and participating in cotton projects at the Harris’ Strathmore Station in Queensland’s Gulf Country.

Mr Greentree was also one of several farmers who invested in the opportunity provided by the collapse of the sandalwood industry, reportedly paying $7.6M in September 2023 for Voyager Farms, a 517ha Ord plantation.

Central NSW-based ASX-listed corporation Duxton Farms has continued to promote the production potential of northern Australia.

It has signalled interest in planting cotton at Mountain Valley Station, a 141,000ha holding it leased in 2022, as well as at Wildman Agricultural Precinct and NT Portion 5088, parcels suited to a mixed cattle-and-cropping program.

In March last year, farm-management and investment group CropScale Australia acquired the 42,300ha Douglas West, halfway between Katherine and Darwin in the NT.

The company has indicated it intends to expand broadacre cropping at the site as well as promote regenerative agricultural practices.

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