Mango Farm Shuts Down, Cattle Operation Takes Over

0:00This is Sydney News Today, every story, every city, every day. A family-run mango farm near Rockhampton is shutting down after more than three decades in business. MMM mangoes, loved by families across the state for its summer fruit, was sold in early March to a prominent cattle producer. The new owner plans to clear out most of the mango trees and turn the land into a stock course breeding operation. The Keel and McDowell families took over the 35 hectare property years ago, but rising costs for production, fuel, staffing, and regulations. Made it tough to stay profitable. This season, yields dropped sharply to just 12,000 trays from 36,000 the year before, as the trees aged and became less. Productive. Outgoing owner Tim Keel called it a hard choice, saying the horticulture industry feels bleak with skyrocketing expenses. He's not alone, according to industry leaders, who point to similar struggles across fruit and vegetable farms. Buyer Evan Acton, who recently sold a large cattle station, is excited to semi-retire in

1:02his home region. He'll set up the stock horse stud and run cattle on nearby land, seeing the switch as a fresh start for the property. Meanwhile, groups like the Australian Mango Industry Association highlight ongoing issues like excessive red tape and compliance demands from retailers and governments. They're pushing for better talks to ease the burden, but for now, many growers say the joy of farming is fading fast. Support for this episode comes from our sponsor. See the description. A pillow that plays your podcast, music, or white noise privately, no earbuds required. S-O-L-L-I, solely pillow.com.