Overview

Australia's agribusiness sector operates within regulated land and water frameworks, export controls, and capital-intensive production environments. Biosecurity regimes, foreign investment reviews, logistics constraints, and global commodity policy shifts demand precise legal management.

Thomsons advises clients across the agricultural value chain (producers, processors, traders, investors, and lenders) on matters where asset values, regulatory certainty, and operational continuity are at stake.

Areas of expertise

Our experience

Sea Harvest Group (WA) – Acquisition

Advised on the acquisition of MG Kailis’ Western Australian fishing assets, including transaction structuring, state and federal regulatory approvals, and property/tenure arrangements (leases, sub-leases and licenses) to ensure operational continuity.

Auscott and Paraway Pastoral Company (NSW) – Multiple property and water transactions

Advised on multiple transactions for acquisition, divestment and leasing of large rural properties, navigating water entitlement transfers and associated licensing.

J G Boswell Company – Cotton producer sale

Advised on the sale of Auscott, a leading cotton producer and one of Australia's largest land, water and infrastructure agribusinesses with a large geographic farming footprint across three major cotton growing regions in Namoi, Macquarie and Murrumbidgee Valleys. The sale included lands in excess of 24,000 hectares developed for irrigated farming, water entitlements in excess of 140,000ML and associated ginning, warehousing and marketing operations.

Irrigation scheme operators (NSW) – Regulatory compliance

Advised on regulatory compliance and constitutions dealing with rights and obligations of members and the transfer of water entitlements and the securing of rights in respect of irrigation infrastructure.

Major lenders – Agricultural finance

Advised major banks on loan and security arrangements involving farms, water rights, livestock and crop collateral, including drafting security documentation and enforcement strategies for rural assets.

Export compliance – Commodities

Advised exporters and domestic traders on compliance with export control frameworks (“China export” restrictions, biosecurity requirements), including risk allocation in contracts and regulator engagement on trade issues.

AgTech commercialisation – Licensing and data frameworks

Advised agricultural technology providers and venture investors on licensing and data frameworks to deploy innovative farming solutions (e.g., IoT in agri, precision farming).

Foreign investment approvals – Regulator approvals

Assisted offshore investors with FIRB applications and government liaison for acquisitions of agricultural land and infrastructure.