What Howe Farming Enterprises Pty Ltd does

Howe Farming Enterprises Pty Ltd is a second-generation, family-owned horticultural enterprise headquartered in Walkamin on the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland, Australia. The company operates multiple farms across the Atherton Tablelands cultivating bananas at 600m altitude, Arabica coffee above 550m, and multi-variety avocados (Shepard, Hass, Sharwil, Pinkerton), alongside supplementary crops including sugar cane, maize, peanuts, lemons, lychees, and cotton. Its three core product lines — Bananas with Altitude, Avocados with Altitude, and Coffee with Altitude — leverage high-altitude volcanic soil terroir as a quality differentiator, supported by registered trademarks and ongoing year-round production (52-week banana harvest cycle).

The business operates with vertically integrated infrastructure through its Howe Manufacturing subsidiary (founded 2006), which designs and fabricates proprietary farm machinery, builds farm infrastructure, and installs irrigation systems for the group. Product quality and food safety are managed by a dedicated in-house agronomist, third-party specialist monitoring, and a Quality Assurance team operating under Freshcare (Food Safety and Quality 4.1 Edition and Environmental 3rd Edition), HACCP, and SEDEX certifications.

The company generates revenue through B2B sales of fresh produce to major Australian retail chains Woolworths and Coles, supplemented by independent fruit marketers and vendors. The group is the largest private employer on the Atherton Tablelands with 550+ staff including seasonal workers, with a corporate governance structure maintained under second- and third-generation family ownership. Leadership transitioned in 2025 with the appointment of Richard Clayton as Chief Executive Officer, while Managing Director Dennis Howe continues in an oversight capacity following recognition in 2016 as Australian Farmer of the Year (Excellence in Technology) and Farming Legend of the Year.

Name

Howe Farming Enterprises Pty Ltd

Legal name

Howe Farming Enterprises Pty Ltd

Website

https://howefarms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Howe Farming Enterprises is a second-generation family-owned horticultural producer in North Queensland supplying bananas, avocados, coffee, and other crops to Woolworths, Coles, and independent marketers under the registered 'With Altitude' brand, supported by an in-house manufacturing subsidiary.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce Farming

NAICS

Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Tropical & Subtropical Fruit Orchards (Avocados, Mangoes, Bananas/Plantains, Pineapples, Papayas) (AFAGACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tea, Coffee & Cocoa Farming (Beverage Specialty Crops) (AFAGAGAG)

Keywords

• Fresh produce farming
• Horticultural production
• Banana cultivation
• Avocado production
• Arabica coffee growing

Headquarters

HQ city

Walkamin

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Sales: Revenue generated through the sale of agricultural produce including bananas, avocados, coffee, sugar cane, maize, peanuts, lemons, lychees, and other crops to major retail chains and independent marketers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Howe Farming Group is a diversified horticultural producer on the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland, growing and supplying high-altitude bananas (Cavendish and specialty varieties), avocados (Shepard, Hass, Sharwil, and Pinkerton), estate-grown Arabica coffee, and other crops including sugar cane, maize, peanuts, lemons, lychees, soya beans, cotton, and cow pea. The company supplies major Australian retail chains Woolworths and Coles as well as independent fruit marketers, supported by an internal Howe Manufacturing subsidiary that provides farm machinery fabrication and irrigation infrastructure services.

Product overview

Howe Farming Group is a second-generation family-owned horticultural enterprise operating across the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland. The company's product portfolio centers on three 'With Altitude' branded produce lines—Bananas with Altitude (Cavendish and specialty varieties), Avocados with Altitude (Shepard, Hass, Sharwil, and Pinkerton varieties), and Coffee with Altitude (estate-grown Arabica beans)—all benefiting from high-altitude growing conditions and rich volcanic soil. Supporting these core products is Howe Manufacturing, an internal division providing machinery fabrication, farm infrastructure design, and irrigation installation services. The group also cultivates additional crops including sugar cane, maize, peanuts, lemons, lychees, cotton, and soybeans. The company supplies major Australian retailers Woolworths and Coles, as well as independent fruit marketers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bananas with Altitude: Cavendish and specialty banana varieties grown at high altitude on the Atherton Tablelands
• Avocados with Altitude
• Coffee with Altitude
• Howe Manufacturing

Products and services

• Bananas with Altitude Cavendish and specialty banana varieties grown at 600m altitude on the Atherton Tablelands in rich volcanic soil, known for their brightness, size, and sweetness. Bananas are harvested year-round on a 52-week continuous cycle, packed at three locations, undergo quality grading, and are chilled and dispatched to retailers.
• Avocados with Altitude Shepard and Hass avocado varieties, along with Sharwil and Pinkerton varieties, grown in rich soil at high altitude on the Atherton Tablelands. Shepard avocados are green-skin varieties with golden, buttery flesh; Hass avocados have rough skin turning dark purple upon ripening. Harvest occurs February to May.
• Coffee with Altitude Estate-grown Arabica coffee plantations grown above 550m altitude, sold as green beans to roasters Australia-wide. Coffee is mechanically harvested in August/September, processed in a wet plant, carefully dried to optimal moisture content, and packaged for sale to roasters.
• Howe Manufacturing Internal entity providing general maintenance support to all Howe Farming entities, with strong focus on design and fabrication of machinery and farm infrastructure, as well as installation and commissioning of irrigation infrastructure.
• Other Crops Additional agricultural products including sugar cane, maize, dolichos, peanuts, lemons, lychees, soya beans, cotton, and cow pea produced across Howe Farming Group's properties on the Atherton Tablelands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Australia's largest private employer on the Atherton Tablelands
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Yuruga NurseryminorOthersYuruga Nursery is listed as a supplier proudly supplied by Howe Farming Group. They appear on the company website as a partner/supplier relationship in the agricultural supply chain.
• FreshcarecoreOthersHowe Farming Group follows Freshcare Environmental Code of Practice and holds Freshcare certification for Food Safety and Quality (4.1 Edition) and Environmental 3rd Edition. Freshcare is Australia's largest fresh produce assurance program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Costa Group: Australia's largest horticultural company, growing berries, citrus, avocados, tomatoes, and mushrooms with national retail distribution. Comparable as a large-scale Australian fresh-produce supplier to major grocery chains, though far broader in scope than Howe Farming's tropical fruit and coffee focus.
• Perfection Fresh: Major Australian fresh-produce grower and marketer with operations spanning multiple categories and supply to Woolworths and Coles. Comparable as a multi-category Australian horticultural supplier to the same tier-1 retail customers.

Direct peers

• Daintree Estate Coffee: Australian specialty coffee estate grower in tropical North Queensland producing premium Arabica beans. Comparable as a high-altitude Australian estate coffee producer serving domestic roasters.
• Sunnyside Bananas: Family-owned North Queensland banana producer operating on the Atherton Tablelands. Comparable as a regional Australian banana grower with similar geography, scale, and tier-1 retail supply relationships.
• Mackay's Banana Marketing: One of Australia's largest banana producers and marketers, also operating in North Queensland. Directly comparable as a Cavendish banana supplier with similar retail distribution channels and exposure to Panama TR4 biosecurity risk.
• Skybury Coffee: Australian estate-grown Arabica coffee producer on the Atherton Tablelands, also at high altitude. Directly comparable to Howe Farming's 'Coffee with Altitude' line in geography, crop, and premium positioning.
• Pacific Coast Eco Bananas: North Queensland-based banana grower supplying major Australian retailers with a focus on sustainable and eco-certified production. Comparable as a regional Australian Cavendish banana producer with similar customer base and biosecurity exposure.
• Pinata Farms: Australian tropical fruit producer (pineapples, mangoes, avocados) supplying major retailers. Comparable as a diversified tropical-fruit grower with overlapping customer relationships and similar operational profile.
• Simpson Farms: Australian avocado producer and packer supplying major retailers including Woolworths and Coles. Directly comparable to Howe Farming's avocado operations in crop, customer base, and value chain position.

Regional players

• Berrivale Orchids / Goldup Packing: Smaller Australian tropical-fruit packers and growers operating in similar geographies. Adjacent comparables for benchmarking on packing infrastructure, retail supply relationships, and small-to-mid-scale horticulture economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Howefarming
• Instagraminstagram.com/HOWEFARMING
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howe-farming-enterprises-pty-ltd-

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Howe Farming Enterprises Pty Ltd