![Darren, John and Frank Mitolo from Mitolo Family Farms are now big national players in the onion business, as well as their own massive potato farms. Darren, John and Frank Mitolo from Mitolo Family Farms are now big national players in the onion business, as well as their own massive potato farms.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/39XqhrgY6riNnQBs6VEtc8R/c7b4f1c7-4018-46d6-8c3d-0e3e0b5c01f5.jpg/r0_577_1748_1550_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Potato giants Mitolo Family Farms has emerged as the new owner of the Rowett family's Kynoch onion empire.
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Kynoch takes in 3932 hectares (9716 acres) with 18 centre pivot irrigators about 50km north east of Keith.
The Rowetts are one of Australia's biggest onion producers.
Mitolo Family Farms, based on the Adelaide Plains, has itself been involved in an ownership shake-up in recent months after a Canadian superannuation fund bought a controlling stake in the business.
The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan through its Australian agricultural arm, AustOn Corporation, bought a majority holding as a "strategic partnership" for an undisclosed sum.
One of Australia's biggest potato producers, Mitolo owns and operates 26 farms in South Australia and New South Wales and is already a big supplier of onions to Australia's big supermarkets.
The transaction did not include Mitolo Wines in McLaren Vale.
![The key to the Kynoch onion farms is its big borewater irrigation licences. The key to the Kynoch onion farms is its big borewater irrigation licences.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/39XqhrgY6riNnQBs6VEtc8R/031d128b-2fdd-42ee-b153-d916c73f4da2.jpg/r0_166_1620_1080_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
No price has been provided for the Kynoch sale conducted by Colliers Agribusiness.
Regarding the sale, Colliers Agribusiness agent Tim Altschwager said the highly diverse south-east of South Australia is attracting solid interest from corporate/institutional buyers seeking dryland and irrigated holdings with scale.
Mitolo Family Farms remains under the leadership of managing director Frank Mitolo and the current executive leadership team including John Mitolo and Darren Mitolo.
At the time of the Canadian deal in March, Frank Mitolo said: "The next steps in our growth trajectory will require additional capital to enter into new markets and pursue strategies that will help us profitably respond to emerging trends in agriculture and food manufacturing.
"The family realised that the additional capital would require partnering with the right investor who understands the cyclical and long-term nature of agriculture, and we believe Ontario Teachers' is the ideal partner with which to take the business forward."
Kynoch features significantly improved land located on in a highly sought after area in the Bordertown region.
Its 18 centre pivots have access to 3000 megalitres of bore irrigation water.
The centre pivots are rotated across 30 sites currently planted to a mixture of red and brown onions, canola, faba beans, barley and lucerne.
"The vendors have invested significantly to increase the productive capacity and operational efficiency of Kynoch, including the claying of soils across a large area, installation of quality fencing and roadways, not to mention the extensive water infrastructure," Mr Altschwager said.
![Mitolo Family Farms employs hundreds of people across South Australia. Picture from Mitolo Family Farms Mitolo Family Farms employs hundreds of people across South Australia. Picture from Mitolo Family Farms](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/39XqhrgY6riNnQBs6VEtc8R/38e56942-0cf3-42d1-bbf7-ce832d30341b.jpg/r0_97_1672_1256_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Approximately 1500ha have been clayed with further claying planned."
Infrastructure for livestock includes two shearing sheds (four-stand and five-stand), sheep yards and cattle yards, and there are multiple machinery sheds throughout the property.
Tony, Glenda and Wayne Rowett have more than 30 years of experience in the wholesale vegetable market and have been growing, pack and supply between 8000 tonnes-10,000 tonnes of onions annually.
Mitolo Family Farms owns and operates 26 farms in South Australia and New South Wales.
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Thomas Foods International sold its potato business to the Mitolo's in 2020.
Mitolo Family Farms employ hundreds of workers in SA and at Hillston in NSW across its many farms and more still at its Virginia washing and packing plants.
SA grows 80 per cent of the nation's potatoes with Mitolo one of the major players. Both Mitolo and TFI's potato operation are based at Virginia, to the north of Adelaide.
Mitolo Family Farms is a vertically integrated grower, harvester, packer and marketer of fresh potatoes and onions in Australia, with a portfolio representing one of Australia's largest horticultural land aggregations.
The Canadians have been big investors in Australian agriculture through pension schemes like Ontario Teachers and PSP Investments.
Ontario Teachers' invests in more than 50 countries in a broad array of assets to deliver retirement income for approximately 336,000 working members and pensioners.
AustOn is the Australian agriculture arm of Ontario Teachers' and has operated in Australia since 2018.
AustOn manages Aroona Farms, which produces almonds in South Australia and Victoria, Jasper Farms, which produces avocados in Western Australia, and Pomona Valley, which produces apples and stone fruit in Victoria.
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