Versatile Jemalong duo

FOR SALE: Expressions of interest close on September 23.

LAND: 495 hectares (1224ac)

AGENTS: Gary Johnston, 0427 574 270, Johnston Rural Group, Forbes.

A rare opportunity has arisen for buyers to acquire one or both blocks of a highly productive two-farm aggregation with developed irrigation in the mid-Lachlan Valley.

Comprising in total 495 hectares (1224ac), Glenorie and Dorset are two complementary farms situated just 500 metres apart at Jemalong, 29 kilometres west of Forbes and 350m south of the Lachlan River.

They are owned by Wyuna Food and Fibre Pty Ltd, a company of the Green family and operated by Steve and Jen Green, whose home base is Mirridong at Cudal.

Previously held for many years by the Doust family, the two blocks were bought in 2019 by the Greens but are now being sold as part of a move by Wyuna into joint venture projects further afield.

The property has been listed for sale with Johnston Rural Group and is being marketed by expressions of interest with offers invited for the whole or as separate blocks (Glenorie of 229ha and Dorset of 266ha).

As such, it affords a timely expansion opportunity for locals, or a chance for graziers further east to acquire a well-located irrigation block for fodder production, backgrounding or fattening.

In past years the properties have typically carried 1000 breeding ewes and progeny plus seasonal traded stock and cropping.

Under present ownership Glenorie last year turned off some 3000 traded lambs while Dorset was cropped to wheat and barley, achieving yields of 4.5 tonnes/ha.

At present the properties are carrying some 100 head of cattle supplementing a cropping program comprising 270ha of wheat and 66ha of barley (all included) plus 23ha of dryland SARDI-Grazer lucerne with a further 16ha of lucerne to be planted on irrigation.

Comprising level, open plains country of free-draining alluvial loam and grey floodplain soils, the properties retain a scattering of majestic yellow box and river red gum along with cypress pine and box.

Of the total area, 180ha is laid out to border-check irrigation (with scope to increase) leaving 306ha of dryland farming and grazing, all under cultivation apart from 75ha of fallow and natural pasture.

Irrigation water is laid on to both properties via Jemalong Irrigation (JI) channels, underpinned by licences of 507 megalitres for Dorset and 327ML for Glenorie, plus stock and domestic entitlements.

This is supplemented by a new irrigation bore on Glenorie which utilises a 400ML groundwater licence attached to Dorset (where an existing bore is unequipped) and feeds into the JI channel network.

As such, the properties offer scope for more intensive development such as vegetable crops or permanent plantings (like the adjacent Jemalong Citrus orchard).

Average rainfall is 500 millimetres and stock and domestic water is reticulated to all main paddocks, supplemented by dams.

Working infrastructure is spread across the two blocks.

This includes two steel haysheds, a three-bay steel machinery shed, two-stand shearing shed with steel sheepyards, timber cattle yards with crush, and seven silos with 230t combined capacity.

A three-bedroom weatherboard home with lock-up garage on Glenorie is currently rented for $220/week.

The four-bedroom cottage on Dorset is unoccupied.

Expressions of interest close on September 23.

Offers for the combined aggregation are expected within a range of $7 to $9 million, including water entitlements.