AIM | 16 June 2026Warakirri Farmland Fund acquires A$25M citrus and stone fruit assets, adds new tenant partner
By Lynda Kiernan-Stone
Warakirri Asset Management (Warakirri) announced the expansion of its Warakirri Farmland Fund portfolio through the acquisition of five premium fruit orchard assets in the Cobram region of Victoria, Australia.
Collectively called Mayview Farms, this aggregation adds another 250 hectares (617.76 acres) of premium stone fruit, pome fruit, and citrus plantings to a diversified portfolio of high value horticultural and vineyard investments.
In addition to established tree crop assets, the A$25 million (US$17.68 million) Mayview Farms also features a significant parcel of high security water entitlements and capital for upgrades and development in a deal that Warakirri noted is accretive to the fund’s current return profile.
Melbourne-based Warakirri has been a leader in agricultural investment management, developing and operating agricultural assets for some of the world’s largest pension funds for over 25 years.
Their agricultural REIT strategies – Warakirri Farmland Fund and Warakirri Diversified Agriculture Fund – invest on a national level, working with world class tenants across a wide scope of high-quality property assets.
The A$150 million (US$106 million) Warakirri Farmland Fund was created with domestic and international institutional investors in mind, offering bespoke access to investment-grade agricultural properties with an attractive and stable return profile.
The fund is currently one of the largest owners of modern and high-density orchards in Australia, featuring premium stone fruit, wine grape, and other fruit assets which are being operated by highly trusted tenant partners across three Australian states.
Under the terms of the multi-party transaction including industry leaders Diaco Fresh, Orsida Fresh, and the Bright Food owned Mildura Fruit Company, the fund has agreed to lease these latest assets under a long-term lease agreement with new tenant partner, DiOrsa Farms.
Created via a merger of existing fruit production enterprises controlled by the Diaco and Orsida families, the new vertically integrated DiOrsa Farms business is the resulting combination of two long-established, previously independent growing and packing operations benefitting from the investment and operational expertise of Mildura Fruit Company and Bright Food.
This entity that combines generations of experience with integrated packing, logistics, and global market capabilities, now controls more than 480 hectares (1,186 acres) of orchard acreage in one of Australia’s key fruit growing regions.
“This investment aligns strongly with our approach of partnering with experienced growers and supply chain participants to support the development of sustainable, long-term horticultural businesses and adds a number of further high-quality assets to the Warakirri Farmland Fund portfolio,” said Steve Jarrott, portfolio manager, Warakirri.
Matthew Orsida, representing the Diaco and Orsida families, expressed how the creation of DiOrsa Farms manifests the next evolutionary stage of their business.
“This transaction allows us to combine generations of growing experience with strong commercial partners and long-term agricultural capital,” said Orsida.
“DiOrsa Farms provides the scale and integration needed to continue investing in orchard productivity and supply high-quality fruit to both domestic and international markets.”
