Both public and private sector investors in the Gulf are also looking at ways to improve local food supplies, by investing in a range of outlets from arable farm land in the Sudan, Algeria and Pakistan to introduce new technology to enhance the local production of foodstuffs and grains, livestock, poultry and fish.

The Weekly Times has compiled a list of more than 900 properties, and their owners, who range from family farms to domestic and international corporate and investment institutions. The result? The big are getting bigger.

Australian Farms Fund Management sells a 40% stake to Melbourne-based Lempriere Capital, the agricultural investment management group that partnered with China's Shandong to purchase the Cubbie Station cotton farm.

President of New South Wales Farmers Fiona Simson doesn't believe the community and farmers are opposed to foreign investment in Australian agricultural land as long as it's adding to their community, industry and economy. The question is having the tools to make sure that this is what's happening.

Australia will set up a foreign-ownership register for farm lands, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Tuesday, as the government moves to ease public concern over foreign buyers in the agriculture sector.

Outspoken entrepreneur and aviator Dick Smith has bought $1 million worth of shares in Australian Agricultural Co (AAco) - Australia's second-largest landholder - because he doesn't want to sound hypocritical when he campaigns against foreign ownership of farms.

Australia’s largest pastoral cattle empire, S. Kidman and Co., has agreed to be sold to a Chinese-led consortium for 370.7 million Australian dollars (US$287.3 million), continuing a flurry of deals in the country’s agricultural sector. Earlier proposed deal was rejected by the government last year.

The approved sale of sprawling Australian cotton farm Cubbie Station to Chinese interests has sparked a political row as Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce insists foreign ownership is not in the national interest.

Foreign ownership of Australian farmland is "overstated" when measured on a dollar-value basis, according to a new report by agribusiness lender Rabobank.

Northern NSW premium meat exporter Bindaree Beef set up a 10,000 square metre cutting-edge facility in QingDao, North Eastern China, aimed at value-adding Australian beef, is due to be finished by the end of 2016.

A Swedish pension fund has become the latest of a series of purchasers of Australian farmland, a buying spree which has fuelled public concerns, and raised discussion over curbs on foreign ownership.

Colliers International estimates about A$4 billion is currently being raised for funds to invest in Australian agriculture, including PrimeAg’s raising of A$125 million in cash for a controversial unlisted A$250 million agriculture fund with Australia’s Future Fund.

Middle Eastern countries flush with oil funds want to invest up to $1bn in Australian farmland as they extend a drive for food security to the world’s second-largest wheat exporter, a grains official said yesterday.

Swedish pension fund Forsta AP-fonden is downsizing its Australian farmland holdings after listing about $50 million of cropping properties in Western Australia’s Great Southern region.

You’d be surprised to learn that the billion dollar barons of Australian farmland are a Canadian government worker super fund, a New York teacher insurance fund and an Australian pastoral giant backed by a Dutch pension fund

While Qatar has adopted a more indirect approach to its foreign agricultural investment and increased domestic production of some food products, it is unlikely that it will be able to significantly reduce its dependence on foreign food supplies in the long term.

A Scandanavian pension fund has poured $20 million into Australian dairy farms to help lift stagnant local milk production.

The bigger question—one Tasmania must answer soon—is how much of its food-bowl can be outsourced to balance sheets before community cohesion snaps.

Agricultural investors say the COVID-19 crisis has had little impact on their business and investment intentions, with Australian agricultural land, water and business assets as appealing as ever to investors.

A China-led consortium seeking to buy Australia's S. Kidman & Co will hold off on a fresh bid for the country's largest agricultural land owner amid concerns it could be derailed by a more protectionist new government, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Australian Liberal senator Bill Heffernan has described as "bullshit" his party's proposed policy for more scrutiny of overseas companies buying into Australian agriculture because it ignored the real threat posed by foreign government-owned funds buying up farmland.

Prime minister's adviser on science and innovation wants Australian companies to consider buying land in Mozambique to counterbalance foreign purchases of farming land in Australia and shore up Australia's food supply.

London-based Stafford Capital Partners has raised €12m from three European pension funds towards its soon-to-be-launched follow-up to its Australian farmland fund.

KKR, a leading global investment firm, and Aware Super, a leading Australian super fund, announced the signing of definitive agreements under which funds managed by KKR will acquire ProTen Pty Limited (“ProTen”), one of the largest agricultural infrastructure businesses in Australia.

The Warakirri Diversified Agriculture Fund invests in agricultural assets on behalf of Australian, Canadian and European pension funds, as well as high net-worth individuals and private family offices.

Created specifically for domestic and offshore institutional investors, the fund has already secured significant cornerstone funding from one of the largest pension funds in Europe

Canadian fund manager PSP Investments, a public service pension fund, has put in an offer for Australia's Webster farms, including their water entitlements, that values the diversified agribusiness at $854 million

Foreign ownership of Australian agricultural land rose more than two million hectares in the past year, with investors from the island nation of the Bahamas buying up 2,201,000 hectares.

The push to buy Australian farmland and buy into agribusinesses continues to grow, with one report showing an overall jump of $1.9 billion in proposed agricultural investment, year-on-year.

Mark Wiseman, chief executive of the $A170 billion fund, will visit Australia this month amid the group’s expanding portfolio of interests across the Tasman.