WELL-known New England property Achill West has been sold on a walk in, walk out basis to local beef cattle producers Marengo Pastoral Company, Hernani, for an undisclosed price.
Originally part of the well known New England’s Coventry families fine wool empire, Achill West is located 39km east of Armidale. The property comprises of 2216 hectares (5474 acres) of predominantly open undulating but well sheltered grazing country.
The buyers, Marengo Pastoral Company already have a cattle operation to the east of Ebor. The company runs about 800 breeders cows and turns off up to 3000 cattle a year. The purchase of Achill West will allow them to further develop their beef cattle operation by utilising Achill West as their main breeding holding, running 1000 breeding cows plus followers, including the Achill West Angus herd together with some of their own cows.
Enabling them to maximise their beef cattle returns, the previous owners have been producing a percentage of Wagyu cross calves in recent years from their (up to) 800 quality Angus breeding cows for the lucrative Japanese market.
Chris Meares for marketing agents Meares and Associates said the purchase of Achill West was a further example of vertical integration of breeding and fattening enterprises in the cattle industry.
“The concept behind the purchase is that Achill West will become the breeding factory for the owners, with Marengo to the East, with its higher rainfall, heavy basalt soils and maritime climate becoming the fattening factory for the operation,” Mr Meares said.
Improvements on the 15,000 dse-rated property includes a manager’s residence and three cottages, sheds, silos, two sets of yards, shearing shed, and 56 paddocks.