EMERALD Grain has its Edenhope Storage grain handling facility on the market.
Edenhope Storage is a joint venture between Emerald and the Holland family located in the far west Wimmera and is a road only site.
Emerald Grain chief executive John Murray said Emerald has decided to put its share of the market after the Hollands announced they planned to depart.
“The site, while a wonderful facility, from our point of view, is not freight advantaged to our assets at the port of Melbourne, so we thought with the Hollands wanting to sell we could take the opportunity to explore our options,” he said.
The Edenhope site has been upgraded in recent years, with over $2 million in capital upgrades, including improved road access and increased storage capacity.
There is 85,000 tonnes of capacity at the site, with 60,000t of that permanent storage. The site increased in size since opening up as Holland Bulk Storage, reflecting increasing grain production in the south-west Wimmera.
Mr Murray said if Emerald did not find a buyer it would continue to operate the site, but said there had been strong interest so far.
“We’ve had enquiry from both local and national concerns,” he said.
Should the Edenhope site sell, Emerald Grain would have ten bulk handling sites, down from a peak of 14 a couple of years ago, however Mr Murray said the company was committed to its storage and handling sector, focusing on using sites that complement its port assets. Emerald’s storage network extends across Victoria and southern NSW, with most sites linked by rail to port.