Barramundi, cattle and lychee farm fishing for new buyer in Mount Molloy, Queensland

A 110-hectare barramundi, cattle and lychee farm is listed for auction in far north Queensland’s Mount Molloy, 60 kilometres inland from Cairns.

The farm comes with 10 aquaculture ponds, which yield up to one tonne of barramundi per week.

The farm also has 700 lychee trees under irrigation and 80 hectares of fattening paddocks.

After operating as a farm for five years the farm is being sold as part of a deceased estate.

It has three kilometres of river frontage from the Rifle Creek, which gives the property perennial water supply. The property comes with unrestricted access to the creek.

It comes equipped with a farm shed with a concrete hardstand, generator room and cooling facilities, worker accommodation and a large diesel generator which automatically cuts in if the power is interrupted.

It also comes with a gazebo and barbeque overlooking the ponds.

Included in the sale is a list of plant and equipment including a late-model Landcruiser, six-metre container, New Holland backhoe, pond aerators, finglerings cages, forklift, water tant and a 4x4 Kubota all-terrain vehicle.

It’s being sold by Tony Roberts of Colliers International.

“The property offers a great opportunity to escape the rat race, live amongst beautiful surroundings and be a part of an exciting, expanding aquaculture industry," he says.

“This is a tight-run operation which can be operated by a family or an owner with three or four staff (seasonal). The aquaculture has room for expansion.”

Water from the river is fed through into to the dam which then feeds the ponds and is also used to irrigate the lychee orchard.

The auction has been put off, with paperwork being required by the beneficiaries of the will.

Roberts says he has had strong interest from around Australia.

“We’ve had 14 registered inquiries interested in bidding,” Roberts says.

He says with properties like this it’s hard to gauge a sale price.

“Because of the situation as a deceased estate, it’s not like walking into a fish farm that’s up and running.”

“It’s in a holding pattern. It’s got fish on it, but you’d have to restock.”

He says it’s not the biggest barramundi farm in the region, but there is room to install a few more ponds.

“And you diversify with redclaw [crayfish].”