$40m expected for southern NSW cropping aggregation

One of Canada’s largest pension funds has listed a cropping holding in the NSW Riverina with a price tag of $40m.

Buckingbong Aggregation in the NSW central west.

One of Canada’s largest pension funds has listed a cropping holding in the NSW Riverina with a price tag of $40m.

Lawson Grains, which holds more than 123,000ha under management consisting of 11 aggregations across NSW and Western Australia, has put its 4628ha Buckingbong Aggregation on the block despite the Riverina’s lack of rain.

Senior rural sources said it had been very dry in the Riverina. “Market wise it’s tough, season wise it’s tough. But this is a good parcel of land,” said a source, adding that most institutions were in the market for larger aggregations of more than $100m. “The $100m market is good because ­institutions need good projects (and) rainfall is everything.”

Lawson Grains was purchased by Canada’s Alberta Investment Management Company, which has $C169bn ($189bn) under management according to its ­financial reports for 2024, and Australian-headquartered New Forests, which after established its agriculture business known as New Agriculture three years ago.

Buckingbong Aggregation in the NSW central west hits the market for $40m

Lawson Grains said it was ­divesting the property, which it acquired in two parcels during 2014 and 2015 due to “portfolio ­realignment” within the region following the acquisition this year of the Bulgandra Aggregation near Rand, a township in the Riverina.

Lawson Grains chief executive Angus Blair said the purchase of Bulgandra in early 2025 added more than 3000ha close to existing grain production, storage and logistics operations at Rand, which has meant a re-alignment of the portfolio in southern NSW.

“Since acquiring the Buckingbong Aggregation 10 years ago, we’ve continued to develop the property to drive performance and it is now presented to the market as a turnkey grain farm at scale,” Mr Blair told The ­Australian.

Buckingbong Aggregation in the NSW central west is being offloaded by a Canadian pension fund

The 4628ha Buckingbong ­Aggregation is being offered as a whole or in three parcels known as Buckingbong, encompassing 2536ha, the 1438ha Barragunda and the 654ha Calooli.

The aggregation totals 4245ha of cropping area, of which 92 per cent is arable, representing a significant, large-scale holding in the Riverina.

Marketing agent Nick Myer of Elders Real Estate said “Buckingbong is a rare offering of scale in the tightly held Riverina region with extensive grain storage and an excellent soil amelioration program. We have no doubt this asset will appeal to a wide range of investor profiles for both broad­acre farming and the potential for alternative revenue streams.”

In the past 10 years Lawson Grains has conducted an extensive soil amelioration program, whilst operating the properties under a 12m controlled traffic farming system, incorporating stubble retention and a strategic crop rotation.

Mr Myer said structural improvements had focused on access roads, water supply and grain storage, which now totals nearly 12,000 tonnes via a combination of upright silos and grain bunkers.

Billing itself as one of Australia’s leading corporate grain growers, Lawson Grains controls 11 aggregations across NSW and Western Australia.

Since its acquisition by Alberta Investment Management and New Forests three years ago Lawson Grains has purchased NSW assets such as Bulgandra, Green Park, Noorongong, Ellim-Eek, Jemalong Station, and Hehir’s Grain Storage and Transport, which was recently rebranded Lawson Logistics.