Ballandry is for sale via an EOI campaign. Photo: Nutrien Harcourts

ONE of the largest aggregations in the northern Riverina, Ballandry Station, is on the market amid a solid winter-cropping season, and with bright prospects for irrigation in the region.

Located 23 kilometres north-east of Griffith, Ballandry covers 26,945 hectares and is being offered for sale by Nutrien Harcourts in conjunction with Rivwater & Property on behalf of vendor David Bartter.

Mr Bartter is one of inland Australia’s large-scale poultry pioneers, and Ballandry comprises 12 properties he has aggregated over many years as a leading mixed farmer in the district.

Ballandry listed in 2018 through an earlier and separate expressions-of-interest (EOI) campaign, but failed to sell.

Ballandry includes 7512ha of prime red loam soils ready for development using  entitlements totalling 45,457 megalitres from Murrumbidgee Irrigation’s Northern Branch Canal.

This country is seen as ideal for permanent plantings including almonds, walnuts, wine grapes and citrus, or annual cropping with vegetables, cereals, oilseeds or fodder.

Ballandry’s dryland mixed-farming country is a proven producer of crops including barley, canola, vetch and wheat.

Close to 22,000ha of crops is expected to be planted this year, and since January, paddocks on Ballandry have had 150-240 millimetres of rain to bolster subsoil-moisture reserves.

Ballandry’s improvements are considerable, and include four bulk sheds which can hold a total of around 24,000 tonnes of grain.

Nutrien Harcourts Griffith agent Robert Cavallaro said this offering could see the property sold as a whole, or as up to five holdings.

“One large part of the property has irrigation, and offering it this way gives people a chance to buy that, and leave the dryland for people who are after just dryland,” Mr Cavallaro said.

“We’re not breaking it up and selling into the individual farms which went into Ballandry, but we are responding to inquiry from prospective buyers who have been contacting us.”

While irrigation options were limited to non-existent in the Murrumbidgee in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 because of drought, allocations for the upcoming water year look bright.

Coupled with low interest rates, high commodity prices, and confidence in agriculture as an investment class, Mr Cavallaro said Ballandry was already attracting market interest.

“The timing for properties going to the market is one of the best I can think of, and Ballandry being offered this way can open more doors to more people.”

The property is being offered for sale as a whole, but agents have said consideration will be given to EOI (expressions of interest) for the potential irrigation areas and/or dryland farming areas.

Dryland area could be divided into three or four separate holdings.

Provided Ballandry does not sell prior, EOI close July 22.

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