Mort & Co has taken full ownership the Yarranbrook Feedlot, ending a two year joint venture with Stone Axe Pastoral.

AUSTRALIA’S second largest lotfeeder has taken full ownership of the Yarranbrook Feedlot after two years of running it as a joint venture with Stone Axe Pastoral.

Mort & Co bought a 50pc share in the 17,000hd feedlot, near Inglewood in Southern Queensland in 2022, going into partnership with Stone Axe who purchased a 50pc stake from the Hart family in 2019. The partnership ended more than 35 years of operations and ownership by members of the Hart family, some of which operate the John Dee Export processing plant near Warwick.

Mort & Co CEO, Stephen O’Brien said taking full ownership of the Yarranbrook Feedlot is part of the company’s strategic plan to grow its feedlot footprint.

“Yarranbrook Feedlot is a well-established site, with well-appointed infrastructure and will increase our total feedlot capacity to 107,000 head,” Mr O’Brien said.

Mort & Co says there is plenty of potential for growth at Yarranbrook, which has a licensed capacity of 25,000hd.

Mr O’Brien says the company has valued its partnership with Stone Axe Pastoral and continues to work closely with the company.

“We have obviously been working very closely with the team of employees on site there for more than 18 months, and we are looking forward to seeing them all officially become part of the Mort & Co team,” he said.

The Yarranbrook purchase follows Mort & Co’s announcement in May last year, that Rockhampton Regional Council had approved a greenfield site in Gogango in Central Queensland, for the development of a 36,500hd feedlot which is currently undergoing an
extensive design phase.

• Mort & Co came in at number two on last year’s top 25 lot feeders list. To read more about the company click here

Source: Mort & Co