Livestock

This year’s conference saw more LPs than ever before, as agriculture continues to grow as an asset class.

Terra Firma-owned Consolidated Pastoral Company has offloaded the 246,000-hectare Ucharonidge Station, the eighth deal since its portfolio divestment began in 2018.

Capital appreciation returns continue to grow in permanent farmland thanks to the rising value of water entitlements – but dry conditions have hurt returns elsewhere.

Chief executive Carlos Rodriguez says increasing produce and frozen fish volumes prompted expansion in a region that is a gateway to southern Europe.

The latest annual update to the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework shows an industry trying to get on the front foot with consumers and investors.

The firm has sold Manbulloo Station to an unidentified consortium but has leased the property back to keep running cattle there.

As the aquaculture industry weighs whether its future is onshore, in the open-ocean or both, private equity investors have an opportunity to help develop a market seen as key to meeting future protein demand.

The challenges and opportunities in a key market for an expanding global aquaculture market were examined by a panel of industry leaders at IntraFish 2019.

Terra Firma-owned CPC continues to be ‘actively engaged’ with potential buyers for the rest of its portfolio as a whole or in parts, CEO Troy Setter said.

Meat processor Thomas Foods is selling the 5,728ha horticulture property, which has a High Security water entitlement for the Darling River.