Smithfield Feedlot, one of Australia’s most highly regarded feedlots with a licenced capacity of 18,500 Standard Cattle Units (SCUs), is expected to sell for more than $65 million as demand for quality Australian beef production assets continues to grow.
The holding spans 2,140* hectares and is located in the tightly held South Burnett region of Queensland, close to the Proston township.
Currently family-owned and operated by Smithfield Cattle Company, one of Australia’s premier beef cattle feedlotting businesses, the feedlot features 175 shaded feedlot pens built to 16.5 square metres per animal.
The feedlot is strategically located north of Queensland’s cattle tick line, and forms part of a 2,140* hectare grazing property with improved pastures typically comprising a mixture of, Rhodes, Gatton panic grass and native pastures.
Approximately 96 hectares is irrigated under centre pivots for fodder production and grazing.
Water security is a key feature with entitlements exceeding the feedlot’s needs. These include 640* megalitre of high priority water licences drawn from the Tarong pipeline scheme, plus one un-supplemented entitlement of approximately 23* megalitres from the Stuart River.
Livestock water is sourced from the Tarong pipeline via three electric powered variable speed pumps, reticulated to two storage dams and feedlot pens, with irrigation water predominantly sourced from effluent sediment and runoff dams.
The Smithfield Feedlot currently operates primarily as a custom feed yard for other large-scale Australian cattle producers or integrated meat companies with long-term supply arrangements. A proportion of the cattle on feed are owned by Smithfield Cattle Company.
Andrew Shearer-Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Smithfield Cattle Company, said the recent activity in the feedlot sector and the current and forecast strength of the Australian cattle industry was the catalyst to sell the family-owned property.
“The decision to sell a property that has been in our family since the 1950s, and a feedlot that our parents, Robert and Sandra Smith, started in 1986, was not made lightly,” Mr Shearer-Smith said.
“We are all very proud of what our family and the Smithfield team have achieved in the continuous development and operation of Smithfield Feedlot since its inception.
“Smithfield Feedlot has an enviable track record of reliably delivering exceptional cattle performance to customers for decades, and while the feedlot is not brand new, a prospective purchaser will be able to step into a high-performing facility that has been constantly upgraded with no significant capital expenditure required.”
The family-operated business also owns Sapphire Feedlot, in the Border Rivers region of Southern Queensland, along with other agricultural assets in the south of the state, and Mr Shearer-Smith said they remained committed to the sector.
“Whether a suitable buyer for Smithfield Feedlot is identified or not, we will soon be starting an expansion of Sapphire Feedlot, located near Goondiwindi,” Mr Shearer-Smith said.
“That facility is currently built to 28,750 SCU and has a Development Approval for an expansion to 48,560 SCU. Stage 1 of that expansion will see it built to 40,575 SCU with completion of that project expected to be Q3 of 2026.
“So, while one chapter of our history may close, we will still be very much committed to the lot feeding industry.”
Other infrastructure supporting cattle operations at the Smithfield Feedlot include hospital yards, induction yards, scan out yards, and dispatch and receival yards.
The milling complex consists of three 18×36 steam flaking mills with an associated tempering system and a brand-new 3-megawatt Maxitherm gas fired boiler. Grain storage consists of seven silos with a combined capacity of 2,090 tonnes and silage pits can accommodate approximately 15,500 tonnes. Shedding includes a commodity shed, old and new workshops, a vehicle shed, machinery shed and a hay shed.
The property also features a weighbridge, stockperson’s amenities, an office, stables, a manager’s dwelling, boardroom, an old house and cool rooms.
LAWD Senior Director, Danny Thomas, said the Smithfield Feedlot presents an exceptional opportunity for a wide range of market participants across the beef supply chain.
“Smithfield Feedlot is an established business that has been successfully operated by the Smith family for many decades,” Mr Thomas said.
“Given the current appetite for Australian beef and production assets, we expect to see strong interest from both domestic and international beef processors, existing feedlot owners and large-scale graziers.”
The Smithfield Feedlot is being offered for sale by Expressions of Interest closing at 5.00pm AEDT on Monday 22 December 2025. For more information, contact LAWD Senior Directors, Danny Thomas, on +61 439 349 977, or LAWD Director, Elizabeth Doyle, on +61 400 102 439.
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