Welcome to Southern Ag.
We are an agriculture-oriented investment company
Investing into opportunities in food and agriculture arising from:
Shift to healthier diets
Sustainable production
Climate change
Our strategy is to deliver superior returns through active management including land transformation to higher value crops, productivity enhancement and value chain integration.
Our investors
We invest in partnership with institutional investors and family offices, and are working with some of the largest global investors in the asset class.
Our operating partners
We work in partnership with best in class operating teams and have platforms in both Australia and Chile.
Our track record
We have a track record of acquiring, growing and exiting investments, and delivering above average returns for the sector.
Our Investments
Gundaline Station | Australia
We partnered with European and Australian institutional investors to acquire Gundaline Station in New South Wales, Australia. Gundaline is one of Australia’s largest irrigated farming operations.
We oversaw a land transformation programme from lower value rice and wheat production to higher value cotton production, which included a substantial investment in irrigation infrastructure. We more than doubled the area of land under irrigation and close to tripled sales, achieving cash yields of in excess of 10%. We also developed plans for the development of a higher value almond orchard.
Gundaline was sold in Q4 2018, delivering a 2.2x pre tax return / 18% equity IRR in under 5 years.
Team
Hugo Montgomery | Founder and Managing Director
20 years of investment banking experience with firms including Kleinwort Benson and Merrill Lynch where he was involved in some of Europe’s largest cross-border M&A transactions.
Hugo led the acquisition, financing and exit of Gundaline Station.
David Montgomery | Director (Australia)
Previously Chairman of the Australian Cotton Industry Council and the Australian Cotton Shippers Association, and former CEO of Dunavant Australia – a subsidiary of the world’s largest cotton trader (now part of Louis Dreyfus). He has successfully developed, managed and sold several irrigation farms, and was awarded with the Cotton Australia Service to Industry Award (2018).
David was Chairman of Gundaline Station.
Sustainability
The responsible custodianship of water resources, soil health and the environment lies at the core of Southern Ag’s management philosophy.
The team is committed to ensuring that its investment properties comply with national and international standards of best management practice, which include ensuring that its properties are certified for adherence to responsible and sustainable natural resource management.
