$20m-plus price tag for Wentworth watermelon, grape and avocado farms

A family owned established fruit farming aggregation at Wentworth has been listed for sale and is sparking huge interest.

A family fruit and nut farm near Wentworth is on the market, with the unique property expected to sell for a whopping sum.

The 2614ha horticulture farm at 135 Red Hill Road, Wentworth has been listed for sale by Nutrien Harcourts Mildura, with a price tag of at least $20m.

The aggregated farm is home to two operations with the vendors, a local father and son, running separate entities.

Firstly, the father runs Neilpo Heights, which includes 78ha of permanent plantings of a variety of wine grapes, (Merlot, sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, White frontignac) as well as avocado, mango, and walnut orchards.

The son runs Red Hill enterprise which is recognised for its scale, producing approximately 3600 tonnes of watermelons per annum in its 90ha plantation.

The Red Hill property also incorporates North Tona, which is a greenfield development with the opportunity for 2398ha of scale.

Nutrien Harcourts Mildura agent Michael Fernandez said the early interest in the property had been “enormous”.

“So far the interest has been very strong. We have had more interest than what you would normally think and we expect that to be ongoing now,” Mr Fernandez said.

“There has been significant interest from institutional type investors and we have also seen significant family and corporate parties inquiring.

“The vendors are open to offers and we are looking at a price expectation of at least $20m as a whole.”

The Neilpo Heights and Red Hill farms were initially part of a 13,354ha allotment which was sold and subdivided 20 years ago.

With the Sunraysia region’s fertile soils, favourable topography, access to water, proximity to specialised service providers and labour resources plus an ideal climate, the aggregation was marketed as a “unique opportunity” for prospective owners.

The farms also boast a proximity to a key water source on the Darling River (Murray River pool) with three phase power plus backup generator and established irrigation of 68ha combined.

The property also has established irrigation portfolios and a significant land bank resource for future irrigation development.

Expressions of Interest first stage will close on Friday March 4, 2022 at 11am.

Alongside the Sunraysia fruit farm, a renowned grazier operation in northern NSW is also for sale with a price tag of at least $20m expected.