Agribusiness & Food
Agriculture supports Australia’s rural communities and contributes significantly to our national economy.
As the cornerstone of Australian industry, agribusiness and food has always been an iconic part of our identity.
Estimated as a $256 billion dollar industry, and continuing to grow, it is a key contributor to our country’s GDP and Australia’s economic prosperity.
At PwC, we are uniquely positioned to help our clients meet the coming challenges, from accessing investment, intergenerational succession, food trust and assurance, and business structure and sale, we partner with our clients to get exceptional outcomes.
Who we are
We are one of the largest providers of professional services to the Australian agriculture and food sector. Our team has a deep affinity with the sector built from their family farming backgrounds, agricultural education and years of experience working in agribusiness.
Our team has first hand experience in dealing with farmers, governments, exporters, investors and industry bodies, along with knowledge of the practice, technological, regulatory and operating environment of the Australian agriculture sector. With years of experience, study and passion that comes from a background working in the sector, our team services the needs of family run farming businesses, large internationally owned and operated agribusinesses to local and foreign investors looking to capitalise on Australia’s booming agriculture sector.
Recognised as a leading global mid-market adviser, our network of 3,000 strong food and agribusiness and corporate finance experts spans more than 60 countries.
How we can work with you
We help our agribusiness clients prosper, even in the face of natural disasters, a fluctuating Australian dollar, volatile global commodity markets and international protectionism.
We provide a range of services including helping Australian farmers and agribusinesses looking to sell or secure capital locally or offshore, foreign investors buying into Australia’s farming and resources sector to assisting clients in producing the most economic returns from their farming.
We recognise that Australia’s agriculture sector operates on an international stage, with around two thirds of total production being exported. Whether it’s exports, foreign trade, investment, divestment, acquisition or in accessing capital, our team meets the needs of our clients on a local and global scale.
Innovation including new technologies, smarter farm management, changing consumption patterns, food security and improved business models are creating new opportunities, as well as regulatory and intellectual property hurdles not seen before. We work with our clients through an integrated service offering employing multidisciplinary practices locally and internationally to identify and overcome these hurdles.
Creating value for your business
PwC works with its clients across its integrated offering to ensure they remain competitive, and continue to take advantage of the opportunities that lie in Australian agriculture land.
Commercial and Financial Advisory
Our sector knowledge, experience and access to a network of global connections ensures transactions are effected seamlessly, including:
- buy and sell-side advisory
- identifying opportunities among key market segments / participants
- profitability benchmarking performance measures
- acquisitions and investment opportunities
- capital raisings
- debt refinancing
- accessing inbound capital
- deal valuation / commercial modelling
- due diligence
- economic advice (including a dedicated water team)
- advising major bulk handlers on commodity and treasury risk management
- advising industry and government on the effects of climate change.
Private Clients
As with all our clients, our private clients enjoy a single, local point of contact who partner with them in providing an integrated service tailored to their needs. This includes:
- succession planning - next generation, sale or IPO ready
- facilitating funding options to expand your business
- developing strategies to optimise business growth locally or overseas
- working with inbound investors and developing outbound channels
Assurance
Our audit capabilities are backed by a world class calibre of accounting professionals, recognised as leaders in the provision of services to local and overseas agribusinesses. Our services including:
- applying the agriculture accounting standard (IAS 41)
- understanding illiquid soft commodity markets
- assessing the effects of prolonged drought on asset values
- accounting for water rights.
Legal
Our team of experienced lawyers provide legal and regulatory expertise across all aspects of agribusiness acquisitions, divestments, asset sales, capital raising and foreign investment, including:
- preparation of legal agreements
- analysis of regulatory environment and approvals including FIRB
- establishing governance structures
- deal terms and execution
- post-deal integration implementation
- government and cross-border trade implications
- intellectual property rights
- due diligence
Tax
Our team of agribusiness tax specialists provide a broad range of services to business clients across a number of disciplines, including:
- structuring acquisitions, divestments and restructures
- taxation assistance across all aspects of a deal including due diligence, vendor due diligence and post deal integration
- international tax and transfer pricing advice ensuring efficiency and compliance for all international transactions
- tax planning and wrap around tax compliance services for the full range of businesses from multinationals to family businesses
- intergenerational succession tax issues
- specialist support in R&D and grand opportunities to leverage spend on innovation and technology
- full range of cross border transaction tax advisory assistance including customs and trusted trader program assistance.
Some of our work
Our team has experience and a proven track record in working across all sub-sectors of agriculture including:
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Meat & Poultry
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Grains
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Horticulture
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Viticulture
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Dairy
Meat & Poultry
- PwC was engaged by an Australian iconic beef producer to explore expansionary capital raising designed to fund an upgrade to its existing plant
- Our key roles included identifying potential investors in Australia and overseas, producing and tailoring specific marketing materials, assisting with in preparation of financial and operational models to demonstrate investor returns and the the preparation, negotiation and final execution of the transaction contracts
Grains
- PwC was engaged by an international pension fund to undertake buy-side due diligence on a large scale irrigated and dryland broadacre cropping enterprise.
- Aside from our financial and tax due diligence role including guidance on deal strategy, valuation, risk assessment, and structuring; we were able to use our detailed financial modelling capability to forecast potential investor returns on the investment.
- Additionally, we were able to draw on our vast global experience to help the investor navigate through the complex regulatory requirements associated with inbound agricultural investment into Australia.
Horticulture
- PwC was engaged by a third generation family business in the horticultural industry to provide support and advice in relation to financial management and strategy.
- Our key roles have evolved to include full service tax and accounting compliance, tax consulting and succession planning. We have also been instrumental in helping the business establish a formal board incorporating advisory roles for one of our partners and a third party.
Viticulture
- Provision of merger advice to an Australian wine producer that resulted in the establishment of one of the top 20 privately owned Australian wine producers.
Dairy
- Engaged by an international dairy consortium to secure and structure funding for a future expansion
Insights
At PwC, we pride ourselves on keeping our clients informed of the latest developments in agribusiness. Some of our publications include:
Clarity from above
The role drones play in agriculture
An appetite for M&A
Food companies buying and selling their way to a competitive advantage
A recipe for food trust
Building trust in food and taking advantage of this opportunity
Related content
Contact us
Ben Craw
Partner
Tel: +61 2 8266 0341
Email
Craig Heraghty
Agribusiness Leader
Tel: +61 (2) 8266 1458
Email
Tiffany Barton
Partner
Tel: +61 3 8603 0334
Email
Joff Macleod
Partner, Private Clients
Tel: +61 (3) 8603 1199
Email
Derrick Vickers
Partner
Tel: +61 7 3257 5141
Email
Rendle O'Connell
Partner
Tel: +61 7 3257 8198
Email
Glen Hadlow
Partner
Tel: 612 8266 7670
Email
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