Fertile farm land has potential for raising production

A well-run Southern Bay of Plenty dairy farm operation with proven potential to raise production levels, is on the market for sale. The 175.7 hectare property is being sold with 112,596 Fonterra shares, although it has produced up 153,000 shares in the past.

Some 400 cows on the farm are milked through a modern centrally-located 40-aside herringbone shed, which also includes a good sized storage facility and staff room, plus a twin backing gate system. Drafting and loading out cattle is made easy with a solid load out race directly off the yard.

Two milk vats – a 4100 litre colostrum vat and a 3200 litre double skin calf milk vat – are part of the milking shed, while effluent drains directly into a concrete sump and is pumped to a travelling irrigator.

Other building improvements on the flat contour kaharoa ash property include several hay barns, calf and implement sheds, plus three fertiliser bins.

The property - located midway between Whakatane and Rotorua - is being marketed by Bayleys Tauranga, with tenders closing on December 10. Bayleys sales consultant Rhys Mischefski said the farm was subdivided into four individual titles, with reticulated water to all 97 paddocks, which are serviced by a well maintained race system.

“As part of an on-going regressing programme, turnips and swedes are grown for summer and winter feed. The farm’s water supply comes from three sources,” Mr Mischefski said.

“The cow is supplied by a bore. Tre is a second bore at the older cow shed which supplies the western end of the farm, while an inline mineral dispenser is attached to the system, and Galatea water scheme is available as a back-up.”

The farm’s main home is a spacious four-bedroom dwelling constructed of brick with a mix of wooden and aluminium joinery. Recent extensions in linear board have added more living space, while well-established gardens and a fence surround the home. A second four bedroom home is on the property, while a one-bedroom self-contained unit is used as a single worker’s cottage.

The farm is bordered by two separate roads. Galatea in the Southern Bay of Plenty is some 30 minutes drive from Whakatane – ranked as the third sunniest town in New Zealand. The farm is approximately 300 metres above sea level and records an average rainfall of 1200mm.