HARVEST Road Group acquired the Gascoyne Tropical Nursery and Mango Plantation in Carnarvon earlier this week to supply the local market with the properties' 21.78 hectares of mango holdings.
The property was listed by Nutrien Harcourts WA agent Yves Beagley in 2019, entering the market for the first time since being established by Gary and Kathleen Gibson in 1980.
The Gibsons are set to retire, after many years of looking after the plantation.
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The asking price for the property was $2,700,000 - but it is unclear how much the property finally settled for.
The Gascoyne Mango Plantation is 300 metres from the North West Coastal Highway on the eastern edge of the established Carnarvon horticultural district.
It specialises in the supply of quality mango fruit to the Western Australian market, consisting of 1400 Kensington Pride, 2300 Honey Gold and 350 R2E2 trees in varying levels of maturity.
The earliest plantings concentrated on Kensington Pride, with Honey Gold and R2E2 varieties established in more recent years.
Annual production levels are set to increase with about 1500 trees established since 2014.
The acquired plantation is one of only two in the Carnarvon Horticulture District licensed to grow the Honey Gold variety.
The property sits adjacent to Harvest Road's Brickhouse station, which has been a part of the Harvest Road holdings since 2015, where agave, sweet potato, mango and hay is produced.
Harvest Road Group has about 16ha of Kensington Pride and Yess mangoes planted at Brickhouse station, which Harvest Road's general manager of business development Richard Kohne said was not yet productive.
"This purchase means we have mangoes to sell immediately, so we aren't waiting another three years for our first harvest," Mr Kohne said.
"The location of the established plantation also provides us with a great opportunity to share equipment and infrastructure across the two properties while reducing waste.
Mr Kohne said the purchase demonstrated Harvest Road Group's confidence in the Carnarvon region as a leader in horticulture.
In 2020, horticulture production in Carnarvon was valued at nearly $110 million - with about two-thirds of this value coming from vegetable crops, and one-third from fruit crops.
The relative isolation from other horticultural regions allows Carnarvon growers greater levels of biosecurity, as well as mango fruit maturity timed perfectly between other key growing areas in WA.
Buildings on the property are superbly presented anld maintained and include:
- A four-bedroom, one-bathroom brick homestead, fully fenced with reticulated gardens;
- Two-bedroom, one-bathroom brick cottage with carports and verandah.
- Airconditioned workshop and packing shed (24 metre x 10m).
- Utility shed (11m x 8m).
- Retail nursery shed (15m x 10m).
- Retail nursery shade houses (10m x 15m and 13x x 30m).
- Nine wholesale nursery shade houses (each 16m x 7m)
- Backup power supplied by a 25KVA Lister Diesel generator.
The production volumes are set to increase in coming years as younger trees realise their full potential, while the nursery business has significant scope for further growth.
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Harvest Road Group chief executive officer Paul Slaughter said mangoes were a highly valued crop by consumers that grow extremely well in the Gascoyne, with the Harvest Road Group's properties well situated to local markets.
Mr Slaughter said his focus was on supplying the best of WA's premium produce to the local market.
"This property has been extremely well managed by the Gibsons since the 1980s, so it makes sense for Harvest Road Group to acquire the property and expand our operations in Carnarvon," Mr Slaughter said.
"We look forward to being the future stewards of this property where we can apply our farming methods to produce high-quality, sustainable produce."
Harvest Road Group is owned by Andrew and Nicola Forrest and also encompases the Harvey Beef and Leeuwin Coast brands.
Jasmine Peart
Jasmine is a earnest listener and a passionate advocate for justice. She feels privileged to be trusted by farmers across Western Australia to tell their truth.
Jasmine is a earnest listener and a passionate advocate for justice. She feels privileged to be trusted by farmers across Western Australia to tell their truth.
