Foreigners muscle in on Australia’s beef abattoirs and feedlots

From China and Brazil to Japan and the US, global players are investing in Aussie beef processing assets and feedlots like never before. SEE THE FULL LIST

Overseas companies are muscling in on Australia’s beef supply chain.

China, Brazil, Japan and the US are leading a global stampede for Australia’s beef processing assets.

A Weekly Times investigation into who owns Australian agriculture’s supply chain can reveal that more than 25 of the nation’s biggest red-meat abattoirs are foreign owned while overseas companies control more than 15 of Australia’s biggest beef feedlots.

The investigation found that the red-meat sector had emerged as one of the most attractive for foreign investors in recent years with three of Australia’s five biggest red-meat processors and seven of its 10 biggest lot feeders fully or partly backed by foreign capital.

JBS Australia – an offshoot of the world’s largest meat-processing company JBS SA from Brazil – is the biggest red-meat player, with 10 abattoirs and six feedlots.

The second biggest is Teys Australia, a 50-50 joint venture arrangement involving Cargill International, the largest privately held company in the US – which operates six abattoirs and three feedlots. Japanese-owned NH Foods Australia, which owns three processing facilities in addition to one of the nation’s biggest feedlots, is another major investor.

Other foreign players include China’s Hosen Group and Bindaree Food Group, and Nippon Foods from Japan while the Australian Stock Exchange-listed Australian Agricultural Company, Elders and Rural Funds Group – all of which contain a portion of foreign funds – have also invested heavily in the supply chain space.

John McKillop, the independent chairman of the Red Meat Advisory Council, said while most Australians preferred the nation’s farms and agriculture supply chain were locally owned it is simply “not the reality of where the capital comes from”.

“Agriculture has a very strong history of foreign investment coming in, doing a lot of good for the industry and leaving as their time goes or their investment horizon changes,” Mr McKillop said.

ABATTOIRS

Beenleigh, QLD – Teys-Cargill. UNITED STATES

Biloela, QLD – Teys-Cargill. UNITED STATES

Bordertown, SA – JBS Australia. BRAZIL

Cooma, NSW – S Foods. JAPAN

Inverell, NSW – Bindaree Beef. CHINA

Ipswich, QLD – Riverview abattoir. JBS Australia. BRAZIL

Kilcoy, QLD – Hosen Capital. CHINA

Kyneton, VIC – Hosen Capital. CHINA

Longford, TAS – JBS Australia. BRAZIL

Mackay, QLD – Nippon Foods. JAPAN

Melbourne, VIC – JBS Australia. BRAZIL

Naracoorte, SA – Teys-Cargill. UNITED STATES

Oakey, QLD – Oakey Beef Exports. Nippon Foods. JAPAN

Rockhampton, QLD – Teys-Cargill. UNITED STATES

Rockhampton, QLD – JBS Australia. BRAZIL

Scone, NSW – JBS Australia. BRAZIL

Tamworth, NSW – Teys-Cargill. UNITED STATES

Toowoomba, QLD – Beef City abattoir. JBS Australia. BRAZIL

Townsville, QLD – JBS Australia. BRAZIL

Wagga Wagga, NSW – Teys-Cargill. UNITED STATES

Wingham, NSW – Nippon Foods. JAPAN

Yanco, NSW – Riverina abattoir. JBS Australia. BRAZIL

FEEDLOTS

Bell, QLD – Australian Agricultural Co. ASX LISTED

Bowenville, QLD – NAPCO (QIC). VARIOUS

Burraboi, NSW – Yambinya Feedlot. JBS Australia. BRAZIL

Charlton VIC – Teys Australia-Cargill. UNITED STATES

Comet QLD – Australian Agricultural Co. ASX LISTED

Condamine QLD – Teys Australia-Cargill. UNITED STATES

Glen Innes – Rangers Valley Feedlot. Marubeni. JAPAN

Griffith, NSW – Prime City Feedlot. Rural Funds Group. ASX LISTED (Leased to JBS – BRAZIL)

Inverell, NSW – Paraway Pastoral Company. VARIOUS

Leyburn, QLD – Macquarie Downs Feedlot. JAPAN

Mungindi NSW – Mungindi Feedlot. Rural Funds Group. ASX LISTED (Leased to JBS – BRAZIL)

Myola, NSW – Bindaree Beef Group. CHINA

Powranna TAS – AEON Co. Ltd. JAPAN

Quirindi, NSW – Caroona Feedlot. Rural Funds Group. ASX LISTED (Leased to JBS – BRAZIL)

Quirindi NSW – Elders. ASX LISTED

Sedan, SA – S Kidman and Co. CHINA

Stockinbingal, NSW – Teys Australia-Cargill. US

Tamworth, NSW – Nippon Foods (leased). JAPAN

Texas, QLD – Nippon Foods, JAPAN

Toowoomba QLD – Beef City Feedlot. Rural Funds Group. ASX LISTED (Leased to JBS – BRAZIL)

Yanco, NSW – Riverina Feedlot. Rural Funds Group. ASX LISTED (Leased to JBS – BRAZIL)

MORE

WHO OWNS AUSTRALIA’S FARMS 2021 — THE FULL LIST