Australia

Lakewood Asset Management is pleased to announce the launch of its latest agricultural asset project -- Australian Farmland in partnership with Agri Firma Capital of the UK.

The 16,000-hectare farm which Första AP-fonden bought in Australia in December was one of a clutch of purchases of farmland, worth some $100m, by the pension fund.

The Beidahuang Group has been dismayed by what it regards as negative media coverage of its investment in agricultural land in Australia and plans to scale back while it still purchases more farms.

There's been considerable disquiet over the presence of foreign buyers in the farmland market place, but the stats on the extent of foreign ownership and the emerging trends are far from clear.

Governments in a number of countries are trying to address concerns about land grabbing by closing their borders to foreign investors. Are these restrictions effective? Not really, says GRAIN.

There are renewed calls for tighter limits on foreign investment in agricultural land, with new figures showing 4.6 million hectares of Australian land is now owned by overseas interests.

A Qatari Government-owned company is buying up prime agricultural land in South Australia at well above market rates and is forcing farmers to sign confidentiality agreements.

Malaysia’s palm oil giant Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd (KLK) has been steadily purchasing farms in Australia’s largest wheat-producing region

As PrimeAg Australia's $125 million sale of rural properties to US fund manager TIAA-CREF goes through, the question now being raised by investors is what will happen to the residual portfolio.

PrimeAg Australia has agreed to sell 60 per cent of its land and water portfolio to US financial services organisation TIAA-CREF for up to $126 million.

The Cairns Mayor says he would support the sale of agricultural land to Chinese investors if it was good for the far north Queensland region of Australia.

In rural Australia, the hyperbole about agriculture as a boom industry for global investors is not translating into practical benefits at the farm gate