Van Dairy, formerly Moon Lake Investments and Van Diemens' Land Company before that, has attracted a lot of attention over its foreign ownership and farm operations.

The Australian fund has confirmed that it has completed an off-market deal to acquire Terrick Terrick, a 55,000-hectare property from long-time owners Russel Pearson and the Pearson family, for an undisclosed amount.

Chinese businessman Lu Xianfeng said he wants to increase production, to meet a booming Chinese demand.

The notorious reluctance of Australian superannuation funds to invest in agriculture because of perceptions it is too risky, volatile and low-return may be slowly changing, according to key farm and food industry players.

"Ultimately, we want to see more, not less, investment in Australian agriculture for the benefit of our industry, but we need to be very clear about the motives," says Jock Laurie, head of Australia's National Farmers Federation

Chinese investors may own less than 1 per cent of Australian farmland, but the true level is not known because it is hidden behind a corporate veil, according to a new report

Chinese property development conglomerate Shanghai Zhongfu has won the sole right to develop 15,200ha of high-value irrigated agricultural land in northern Australia..

The buy-up of prime agricultural land by Shenhua has sparked a furious political debate in Australia

The purchase of more Australian farms, agribusinesses and food processing plants is high on the agenda of one of the world’s biggest investment managers, the Chicago-based Nuveen.

Australia's dairy industry is the new flavour of the month among foreign investors, with global pension funds, food companies and wealthy individuals turning their focus from New Zealand towards Victoria and Tasmania.

The top priority for Mitsui's massive investments in Australia is starting to shift from resources to agribusiness

TIAA-CREF's Westchester group buys 17,200 ha Cobran Station, once Australia's largest rice farm, while Sweden's Forsta AP-fonden buys the 16,000 ha Merri Meric farm near Henty.

Australian agricultural assets remain a major a drawcard for international investors with a string of mainly US-based investors funnelling hundreds of millions into a $1 billion fund established by the Queensland agribusiness investment firm, Laguna Bay Pastoral Company.

Australian farmers have demanded an overhaul of foreign investment rules ahead of any attempt to harness Asian capital to boost the nation's food production.

Elders has begun a sale of all its forestry plantations totalling 50,000ha across the country. Much of the land purchased is expected to be planted with sugar cane, bananas or returned to beef grazing, and COFCO and Wilmar International have indicated their interest.

LABOR has demanded the Coalition back foreign investment in the farm sector after it said he would be prepared to limit foreign purchases.

Chinese investment company Genius Link Asset Management has trumped rival Shanghai Pengxin’s bid for the S. Kidman & Co pastoral empire just as the race for the coveted cattle stations nears the final hurdle.

The head of a $7 billion Chinese mining project in the Pilbara says Australia has a golden opportunity to meet China's soaring demand for high-quality food and he would prefer to invest in agriculture rather than iron ore.

The debate over foreign investment is set to expand from the mining industry to agriculture as overseas investors pour billions of dollars into Australian rural properties considered by some to be strategic national assets.

The New South Wales Farmers Association, in Australia, has switched policies to back much tighter restrictions on foreign companies and investment funds buying Australian farmland.

China’s biggest potential investment in Australian agriculture, a $1 billion high-risk foray in the fabled Ord River irrigation scheme.

Billionaire trucker Lindsay Fox is making a late bid to keep Australia’s largest outback cattle ­empire in local hands with a push to buy the sprawling S. Kidman & Co stations that are set to fall into Chinese hands.

Wilmar has flagged the purchase of another 778 hectares of land in the Burdekin region south of Townsville, Australia as part of its campaign to lock up as much supply as possible.

Derek Byerlee, co-author of a recent World Bank report The Rising Global Interest in Farmland, says world is running out of productive land and foreign investor and corporate land sales are on the rise across the globe.

Ray White Rural chairman Paul White said there was interest in Australian rural property from Chinese, Malaysian and Indonesian investment groups, looking to secure their food supply for the future.

Trade deal with South Korea cuts the value of Australian farmland purchases that attract scrutiny from the Foreign Investment Review Board from $53 million to $15m.

The famed Consolidated Pastoral Company, now owned by English financier Guy Hands, has bought Australia’s biggest sheep station Rawlinna after it was put on the block when tycoon Andrew Forrest last year dumped plans to buy it for a renewable energy project.

Herman Shao-ming Hu and Kenny Zhang are finalising the purchase of a majority interest in the 190-year-old Van ­Diemen’s Land Company (VDL) in Tasmania, Australia.

Australia's National Farmers’ Federation has criticised the Abbott government’s reduced threshold for foreign farm purchases.

KPMG says food and farming is one of the "hot sectors" for Chinese overseas investment in 2015.