Ballandry Portfolio set to change hands after a lifetime of ownership

One of Australia’s large-scale poultry pioneers, David Bartter, has listed his 26,839.28ha Riverina aggregation for sale after a lifetime of development.

Ballandry Station offers the opportunity to acquire a sizeable foothold in recognised farmlands in southern New South Wales.

CBRE Agribusiness’s Boo Harvey and Matt Childs are managing the sale of one of the largest aggregations in the northern Riverina region - it is expected to sell for around $120 million.

While the station has previously been offered for sale, Mr Bartter has said that he is committed to the current campaign which will result in new stewardship for the property by mid-year.

“We have recently been approached with very good offers and see this new sale campaign as the last offer of my lifetime of work of building the Ballandry Station aggregation of Farms. It is time for new stewardship,”

“A final sale decision will be made without delay so interested parties are encouraged to move quickly.”

In addition to the land holding, the purchaser also gets the benefit of the 2023 crop. This is likely to provide a sizeable contribution to their purchase within six months.

The overall Ballandry offering includes 20,000 tonnes of grain and fertiliser storage as well as machinery sheds, workshops, plant and equipment.  Of significance is the 45,457 irrigation delivery entitlements that come with the farms.

Ms Harvey noted, “This opportunity is truly once in a lifetime, a philosophy that Mr Bartter applied in building the aggregation of farms to what is presented today.”

“Farm aggregations of this size meet head-on the worldwide concerns with food security. Mr Bartter hopes that an Australian consortium will acquire the farms and maintain Australia’s lead in worldwide food security.”

Ballandry has an annual cropping program of 21,833ha across three aggregations and is only 37km north and northwest of Griffith. Its size allows for farming efficiency and diversity, predominantly of wheat, canola, barley, lupins, field peas and vetch.

Bespoke management practices, including the application of chicken manure to improve soil quality, have enhanced the red loam and red sandy loam soils.

Ms Harvey added, “The region typically achieves average yields of 2.4 to 2.6 tonnes per hectare, however, we’ve seen these yields being well exceeded in recent years.”

The region benefits from a winter-dominant weather pattern and has an average annual rainfall of 424mm. One of the aggregations has direct access to the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Northern Branch Canal and has approximately 3000ha that has been tested as suitable for almond production. Other uses for various parts of Ballandry are limited only by imagination.

“There are many opportunities for diversity and strategic farm management with Ballandry Aggregation.”