Prime Value was recently featured at the ausbiz Essential Alternatives Event, where Harrison Stewart, Senior Investment Specialist – Alternative Assets, presented on Prime Dairy and shared our impressive growth story.
Harrison highlighted how Prime Dairy has grown from two farms milking 1,100 cows in 2019 to a portfolio of 12 farms today, producing milk from over 10,000 cows across 6,800 hectares. This makes Prime Dairy one of the largest pasture-based dairy producers in Australia, accounting for nearly 1% of national milk production.
The presentation emphasised why dairy remains such a compelling long-term investment:
- Strong thematics: Population growth, rising incomes, and increasing protein demand across Asia are driving global dairy consumption, with the Global Dairy Index rising ~8% annually over the past decade.
- Defensive land values: Tasmanian farmland has compounded at over 10% per annum for 20 years, underpinned by high rainfall and secure irrigation – providing stability and resilience through cycles.
- Professional platform for investors: Direct entry into dairy farming is difficult given high capital requirements, operational complexity, and skilled labour shortages. Prime Dairy provides access through a professionally managed, diversified portfolio where much of the heavy lifting has already been done.
Harrison also shared how Prime Dairy has transformed underperforming assets into high-quality operations through strategic acquisitions, infrastructure upgrades (new dairies, calf sheds, irrigation expansion, effluent systems), and improved herd genetics. The results are clear – productivity gains, enhanced profitability, and recognition through 10 milk quality awards in the past year.
With the capital works phase largely complete, Prime Dairy is now focused on optimisation and efficiency – positioning the platform to benefit from improving macro conditions. As Harrison noted, “the heavy lifting has been done, and we are now in the optimisation phase – a compelling time to consider dairy as a long-term investment.”
This feature at ausbiz reinforces Prime Value’s expertise in alternative assets, our conviction-driven approach, and our commitment to providing investors with access to unique, high-quality opportunities in Australian agriculture.