A ‘drought-proof’ cropping property in Gooloogong, NSW is going to auction next month with Ray White Emms Mooney agent Josh Keefe expecting to field enquiries from both local and international buyers.
The Scammell family has owned Kara for the past 23 years, with the property currently run by three brothers.
The 250ha irrigation farm at 130 McInnis Lane, Gooloogong will go to auction on Friday, March 8, in Bathurst at The Auction Centre on 152 William Street.
Mr Keefe said Kara was a desirable high-security water purchase for a wide range of buyers.
It has six centre pivot irrigation sites, a 672 megalitre ground water licence in one of the most desirable groundwater zones, 2.6km frontage to the Goonigal Creek and an excellent stock and domestic bore reticulated throughout for stock.
A new high performance bore connects via a mainline and three phase power to the 6 x 70.7ac, remotely operated, centre pivots meaning the new owners can operate the property offsite, via their mobile phones.
Located in the irrigation belt between Cowra, Forbes and Canowindra, its positioning offers some of the district's highest quality red-brown loam to self-mulching clay soils.
“Kara’s next owners have plenty of flexibility in their production options, as the farm is 100 per cent arable and suited to vegetable, lucerne, cereal, oil seed and pulse production,” Mr Keefe said.
“The area also provides an excellent climate for hay and seed production. Kara is currently used as an ideal feed factory to fatten prime lambs, and produces fantastic crops in rotation of cereals, canola and pulse crops. While lucerne for livestock finishing and hay production have been the owners’ main focus.”
The property will be sold with the current crops, which will be farmed until the sale and include irrigated lucerne and irrigated sorghum.
“All working improvements present in very good condition, including three large hay sheds, one large machinery shed, 70 tonne grain storage, a two-stand shearing shed and steel sheep yards for around 2,000 head as well as basic working, steel cattle yards with a loading ramp,” Mr Keefe said.
The dwelling onsite is a basic cottage, run on rain water, that currently provides a rental income for the owners.
“Kara is a tremendous property with high-quality soils that provide the perfect opportunity to drought-proof your agribusiness,” Mr Keefe said.
“With a highly secure irrigation water licence and excellent infrastructure, the property allows the new purchaser to take advantage of current crops and immediate access after sale to start their 2019 farming year.”
Discerning agricultural purchasers are honing their sights on the Cowra and Forbes shire councils, particularly the arable pockets.
According to NSW Valuer General, there has been a 26 per cent increase in rural land values year on year in this area with continuing strong demand for broad acre rural properties on the back of strong commodity prices and increased investor demand, coupled with a shortage of supply.
