Powerhouse Riverina farms sold in $88 million deal

A mammoth offer has bought 2800ha of farmland and 14,000ML of water from a pair of renowned farming brothers. See the details.

The Commins family have sold their 2807ha irrigated cropping portfolio, near Whitton NSW.

An irrigated cropping powerhouse in the NSW Riverina has changed in a transaction worth almost $90 million.

Renowned cotton growers Timothy and Roger Commins, founders and directors of the Southern Cotton gin at Whitton, have sold their 2807ha institutional grade cropping farms, located in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation District, 3km from Whitton and 17km from Darlington Point.

It is understood the portfolio has been sold as a whole for $88 million, plus plant and equipment, while the identity of the buyer remains confidential.

It is understood a private domestic investor has acquired the portfolio, adding the assets to existing landholdings in the NSW Riverina.

Existing staff are to be retained across the Commins portfolio.

Earlier this year, the Commins brothers listed their huge portfolio of assets for sale after corporate buyers approached the pair, offering four hubs within an 18km radius, including the Whitton Hub (1253ha), which has seven farms; the Karwar Hub (1097ha), as well as Nardoo (274ha) and The Weir (183ha) hubs.

Roger (left) and Tim Commins on-farm in 2008. Picture: File

A portfolio of 14,112ML of water entitlements comprising 9700ML of surface water and 4412ML of groundwater were also sold in the deal.

In recent seasons cotton, maize, winter cereals and seed canola was cropped in rotation with a 744ha winter crop and 1645ha cropped during summer.

Historically 10-12 cotton bales have been produced per hectare, while maize yields have reached 17-18 tonnes, six to seven tonnes a hectare for wheat, four to five tonnes a hectare for barely and 2-2.5 tonnes of seed canola a hectare.

The Commins Portfolio is formed by four hubs near Whitton and Darlington Point in the NSW Murrumbidgee Irrigation District.

LAWD agents Danny Thomas and Erica Semmens handled the sale of the portfolio.

The brothers first formed their farming enterprise 35 years ago in 1989, building on their family’s agricultural legacy dating back to the 1940s.

The pair, together with wives Leeann and Annette, were among the first in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area to grow cotton, while also partnering with fellow growers Larry Walsh, John and Gerard Toscan and Scott and Anita Hogan to build Southern Cotton’s $20 million gin at Whitton, opened in 2012 to cater for the expanding cotton production in the NSW Riverina.

In 2016 Timothy and Roger won Cotton Australia’s high achiever of the year award for their innovative farming techniques and their work establishing the Whitton gin.

The pair are also part of the syndicate that founded Voyager Craft Malt and the Whitton Malt House, which adjoins part of the Commins Portfolio.