317-acre Cavandarragh Farm, Castlederg, Co Tyrone, is believed to be one of the largest offered for sale in Northern Ireland over the last decade.
Savills and Pollock Estate Agents are handling the sale of the “substantial, fully equipped and productive dairy farm”.
Cavandarragh Farm is between the villages of Castlederg (5 miles) and Newtownstewart (6 miles), which provide for everyday necessities.
The area surrounding Cavandarragh Farm is renowned for its productive dairy and stock-rearing farms. It has a “well-developed” agricultural infrastructure with a selection of merchants, milk processors, livestock marts and abattoirs.
The “outstanding” residential dairy farm has extensive fixed equipment and productive land lying within a contiguous block.
Cavandarragh Farm
The selling agents are offering the farm for sale as a whole or in up to eight lots as follows:
- 183-acres: Cavandarragh Farm;
- 89-acres: Oakhill House & Paddock;
- 76-acres: House, outbuildings & paddock at Ratyn Road;
- 53-acres: Land and general-purpose shed at Ratyn Road;
- 40-acres: Land at Drum Road;
- 81-acres: Land at Drumclamph Road;
- 70-acres: Land at Scaravagherin Road;
- 69-acres: House site at Ballynaloan Road;
The joint selling agents commented:
“The farm includes a beautiful farmhouse of modern construction laid out in generous and elegant proportions and occupies an elevated position in the heart of the farm with far-reaching views.”
“A site with planning permission and a derelict house provides opportunities to create additional residential accommodation.”
“Being offered for sale in up to eight lots presents an excellent opportunity for expanding farmers to add additional acres to an existing unit.”
Two yards and farm buildings
Cavandarragh Farm has, until recently, carried an autumn-calving herd of 340 dairy cows, plus followers. Typically, the farm owners take four cuts of silage annually from the rotational grass.
Extensive farm buildings are across two yards (Cavandarragh and Ratyn), with both benefitting from convenient access off public roads.
There is winter accommodation for approximately 750 head of cattle and about 370 cubicles. The farm buildings include underground slurry storage and winter fodder storage.
The yard at Cavandarragh Road consists of the dairy complex with a 40:40 swing-over, rapid-exit parlour and some 300 cubicles under a single roof.
On the other hand, the yard at Ratyn Road provides additional young stock accommodation and general-purpose storage.
Land
The selling agents pointed out that a key feature of the farm is the land.
This includes about 298-acres of ploughable ground “in excellent heart and has been well tended to by the current owners”.
The fields are of a “good workable” size and layout, with the land gently rising from about 47 metres (154 feet) about sea level at the north of the farm and about 177 metres (580 feet) above sea level at the south of the farm.
Furthermore, the current owners have made investments and improvements to the land in recent years. Works include internal road network, fencing, drainage, water supply and reseeding.
The farm won the Northern Ireland Silage Growing competition for four years in succession. It has grown potatoes, maize, fodder beet, winter wheat and spring barley.
To note, the farm owners typically turn the dairy herd out to pasture at the beginning of March until mid-November.
It lies within a contiguous block and can be easily accessed from several public roads and an extensive network of internal farm roads and cow tracks.
Biomass boilers
To note, three biomass boilers have been installed at Cavandarragh Farm. Planning permission was granted in July 2014 (Ref: J/2011/0287/F) to construct an anaerobic digester with underground tanks, a 500kW combined heat and power plant, and silage pits.
The farm owners did not develop the proposed project at the Cavandarragh Road yard) and permission has since lapsed.
Basic Payment Scheme
Furthermore, the entitlements to the Basic Payment Scheme are owned and are included in the sale.
The sellers will retain the subsidy from the Basic Payment Scheme Entitlements in relation to the 2021 farming year.
“If the farm is sold in lots, the entitlements will be apportioned on a pro-rata basis.”
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