LAMPE Farming Australia's bluechip Riverina dryland, flood-irrigation, breeding and fattening aggregation is on the market for $11.15 million.

Owned by West German businessman Jobst Lampe for 34 years, the four properties, totalling 5951ha, are midway between Oaklands and Urana.

    GRASSMERE
  • OAKLANDS, NSW
  • Property: Dryland farming with flood irrigation
  • Size: 5951ha
  • Price: $11.15 million
  • Agent: J M Smith & Co, Urana
  • Contact: (02) 6920 8207

The aggregation comprises the 1867ha Grassmere, 2056ha Moorawanga, 928ha Urilla and 1100ha Traleen.

The sale includes 2024ha of gregory and ventura wheat sown between May 1-15.

Water is a feature of the aggregation.

It has a 600-megalitre licensed storage dam built alongside the Billabong Creek in 2002 and water entitlements including 2600 megalitres (general security) from the West Corurgan scheme, 1914 megalitres from the Billabong Creek and 804 megalitres (supplementary) from the Nowranie Creek.

Irrigation development consists of 640ha bankless channel and 1336ha of border check.

Soils range from red loam to red, grey and black self-mulching, and red and grey clays.

Subdivided into 70 paddocks, the farms have a large amount of new fencing, with double gateways for wide tillage machinery.

Set in a 425mm rainfall zone, the flat to slightly undulating country has outcrops of boree, Murray pine, buloke, yellow box and river red-gum trees.

The properties has an 8km frontage to the Billabong Creek and 4km double frontage to the Nowranie Creek.

Jeff Kerr has managed the properties for Mr Lampe since 1992.

He said wheat yields averaged three tonnes/ha in 2005 and four tonnes/ha in 2003, while 500ha of wheat was cut for 1000 tonnes of hay last year.

"When water supplies allow, we grow 200ha of rice and 120ha of corn," Mr Kerr said.

"We normally run 6000 to 8000 sheep, including 2000 Merino ewes joined to Uardry rams, and 2000 older ewes joined to Border Leicester rams.

"We have also run 100 agistment cattle and 3000 sheep over summer on agistment."

"It is also versatile, with dryland cropping, wool, prime lambs, rice or corn, and cattle on the creek country."

Built in 1978, the brick-veneer home on Grassmere has zoned in-floor heating and ducted evaporative cooling.

The home is in a garden of flower beds and mature trees and has four bedrooms with built-in robes, family room, lounge and meals area.

There is also a three-bedroom manager's home, and two timber-framed transportable cottages for staff.

The main shearing shed on Grassmere has six equipped stands, an airconditioned mess room, steel bugle sheep yards and a two-bedroom accommodation block.

Working improvements include a second four-stand shearing shed with steel yards, two crutching sheds, five machinery sheds, 12 silos and a 300-tonne bulk storage shed.

Selling agent Denis Smith, of Urana, said the decision by Lampe Farming (Australia) to sell would create widespread interest throughout the agricultural industry.

"The aggregation is in the heartland of the productive Oaklands-Corowa district," Mr Smith said.

Mr Smith said the property was priced to sell at $1877/ha ($760/acre).

"It can be purchased on a walk-in-walk-out basis, including livestock and modern farm plant at valuation," he said.