15 UK farms looking for Chinese buyers worth £ 0.14 billion

2014-05-07 Developments

may 05, 2014

comprehensive report on agriculture, rural areas and farmers through train: according to British media reports, the troubled British high product group (Co-operative Group) intends to sell its 15 farms to Chinese buyers, and has repeatedly reiterated that it will not consider group acquisitions. At the end of February this year, the Gaoping Group announced that it would sell 15 of the company's farms, covering a total area of about 17000 hectares, and the bidding will be held at the end of this month. Analysts predict the sale will be around £ 0.14 billion. The group lost a total of 2.5 billion pounds as of April 2014.

15 UK farms looking for Chinese buyers worth £ 0.14 billion

real estate brokerage company "Savills" has issued a notice stating that it will not send information to any potential buyers with poor acquisition records. At the end of the week, the group again said it was unable to persuade the gaoping group to consider a group takeover.

The transfer of the farm by the high-end group could not help but arouse the suspicion of the market. Market rumors say the move is further evidence that the group is about to lose control of its British cooperative bank. So far, the group owns 30 per cent of the co-operative bank, but that share is expected to fall to 20 per cent as the group is considering selling part of the rights issue. The Group also announced that it would no longer recapitalize the Cooperative Bank.

Headquartered in Manchester, UK, the High Products Group is one of the largest consumer cooperative organizations in the world, with annual sales of 7.8 billion pounds, more than 3,000 retail outlets and more than 70,000 employees. Gaipin's business involves agriculture, financial services, real estate and other aspects. (Great Wisdom Asdaq News Agency)

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british High-Pin Group to sell several Centennial farms or be acquired by Chinese buyers

according to a report on the British "Guardian" website on May 3, the troubled British High-Pin Group insists that it hopes to find a major buyer for its British farms and will not consider community acquisitions. The move has seriously dashed the hopes of green campaigners, who believe that it will make Chinese buyers rush to buy land. At the end of February, the Gaupin Group announced that it wanted to sell the company's 15 farms, totaling about 17000 hectares, in a bid to be held at the end of the month.

Real estate agent Savills has been told not to send information to any potential buyer with a poor acquisition record. At the end of the week, the group clarified again that it would not consider a corporate takeover, despite attempts by various groups in the UK to persuade the group. This means that large swaths of British farmland will be snapped up by Chinese buyers or hedge fund investors. Currently, foreign investor interest in UK farmland is high because of the threat of food shortages. The Conscience Group has operated for more than a hundred years on its farms and warehouses in England and Scotland, producing cereals, fruit vegetables and honey. Critics say the situation will end. According to the "Farmers Weekly" estimates, excluding additions such as equipment or buildings, from the sale of land alone, this sale will bring about 0.14 billion pounds of income to the Gaipin Group. But at the same time, critics say it will cost the group £ 2.5 billion by April 2014. Most people consider the resolution a failure. "Think about all the things that have happened to the leadership of the high-end group recently, one of which is the sale of its farm by the fire line. Will the children in the candy store sell out their valuables cheaply and use this to pay for their consumption?"

"Community farm acquisitions can do well because we 've proven time and time again. Since 2006, more than a thousand community clubs have been successfully established to save bars, run shops, develop community renewable energy, run farms, and more. Recently we helped out at Rush Farm near Worcestershire, where we set up a society with community shares and loans. In the 1950 s, the first Archer project was established at Rush Farm. This community acquisition shows how important it is to have a functioning farm." He continued: "Savills and Coorpin refused to tell us the details of the farm because we could not be trusted-we did not have a guide price of £ 0.2 billion. It was clear that Coorpin preferred to sell the farm to hedge funds or speculators at the highest price, and they ignored our advice." Professor Molly Scott Cato, a sustainability expert and economist and Green Party candidate, said in this month's European Parliament election that the sales method really surprised her. "If we had a bank, we could use it to lend to small businesses, to diversify and help local communities, but unfortunately we don't have such a bank. So although members have co-op farms, they can't use it as their own assets to improve their lives."

gaupin said they were not in dire need of cash because of poor performance in banking or other businesses. It added that the final proceeds would go to the group, to its 7.2 million members, although it admitted that it had not previously consulted them about sales. A spokesman for the group told the Observer it believed a single buyer would best protect the jobs of its farm 250 workers. He said: "As part of a broad assessment, the High Pin Group has decided that its farm is not their core. Combining this situation and the long-term interests of the group, we finally decided on this sale. The new owners will give the farm a sustainable future. Our first priority is to sell the entire business so that we can create opportunities for our colleagues and create a future for our sustainable business."

phil Hudson, of the Farmers Union, said: "We are really disappointed with this decision. From our point of view, it is important now that we have some reassurance from retailers that they will continue to maintain strong links with UK agriculture." The group is committed to sourcing 100 percent of British milk, eggs, beef, pork and dairy products. Similar to London property, farms are now seen as a safe investment by foreign investors. According to Savills data, in the past ten years, the average price of high-end homes in London has increased by 135. At the same time, the average price of prime farmland in the UK also increased by 273 per cent to £ 8500 per acre. (China Net)