South Central and West Gippsland
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FEBRUARY, 2014
HOLSTEINS ON HIGH GROUND
486 Whitehorse Road, Surrey Hills, 3127
SEYMOUR FIELD DAY PREVIEW
BULL SALES PREVIEW
PAGE 5
PAGES 12 - 14
24-PAGE LIFT-OUT
Spring in farm sales FARM sales in the Southern Farmer region showed life in the prime spring-early summer selling season in 2013 compared with the same period in 2012, according to estate agents. Geelong agent Michael Stewart said there was no doubt that demand for farms was stronger. “Lifestyle farms are ticking over well and there has been increased demand for cropping country and more life in grazing farm demand, too,â€? the Charles Stewart and Company agent said. Mr Stewart said the 2012 drought through much of the Western District had greatly restricted demand well into 2013, but in spring the ďŹ rm had sold a good number of all types of farms. “There is certainly no boom because we are coming off a low base,â€? he said. But Mr Stewart had seen strong enquiry from overseas interests ranging from Malaysia, SingaS REDUCE SE OU GREENH SION IS GAS EM
pore, and China to New Zealand, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Warragul agent Bruno Persico, of Alex Scott and Staff, said that Gippsland’s farm market was starting to move but was still tough. “Most of the listings we made in 2013 are still sitting there,� he told Southern Farmer. “For a while we had people buying farms who just wanted to park their money but that market has dried up totally.� One sale Mr Persico noted was a 60-hectare property at Drouin South sold to a dairy farmer for $1.4m – realising the equivalent of $23,300 per ha. He also had an 80ha dairy farm on his books for $1.8m. Mr Persico suggested that this latter farm was an option for an existing dairy farmer because of its 100cow carrying capacity. While $18,500 to $21,000 per ha was realistically achievable for properties with few improvements, Mr Persico
CHILL OUT
was conďŹ dent a 39ha farm at well-held Ellinbank, south of Warragul, would achieve around $25,000 per ha. “The property was inherited and the owner has spent the last ďŹ ve years re-fencing the farm and renovating the house,â€? Mr Persico said. Nick Myer from Elders in Melbourne said that there were increasing signs of optimism in the rural property market. Buyer conďŹ dence had returned significantly since late spring last year. “The level of enquiry has certainly improved in this period compared with the previous year,â€? Mr Myer said. Mr Myer said enquiry for rural lifestyle properties had picked up in all areas in Victoria’s south. At the same time interest in commercial-scale farms remained reasonably stable. But there was clear scope for an expansion in interest given Australian agriculture’s and horticulture’s potential in improving Asia’s food security.
CRACK HEIFER BRINGS HOME DAIRY WEEK TRICOLOR
BLIGHTY (NSW) Holstein breeder Meg Campbell (above right) was shy of presenting her cattle at last month’s International Dairy Week national youth show in Tatura until a telephone call from Cardinia-based fellow breeder John Gairdiner in December convinced her otherwise. It was a change-of-heart that brought the eye of Girgarre Jersey breeder and show judge Pat Nicholson (centre) to Meg’s heifer, Avonlea Crackholm Dorinda-IMP-ET, at Tatura showgrounds on January 20 – and show grand championship honors. Meg and her cattle competed against 190 entries in the ABS Australia/Ridley Dairy Feeds' All Breeds national show. The 17-year-old works full-time on her family's 300-cow southern Riverina farm and has pursued her interest in dairying from the age of 14 when she bought five frozen embryos from Canada. Kialla's Emma Castle (left) took home the reserve grand championship ribbon also with a Holstein heifer, Carisa Sanchez Piper.
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