Sundown Pastoral

What Sundown Pastoral does

Sundown Pastoral Company Pty Ltd is a privately held, family-owned Australian agricultural enterprise founded in 1964, operating across 173,000 acres of farmland in New South Wales and Queensland. The company's core operations comprise Keytah (a 65,000-acre cotton and broadacre cropping operation near Moree, NSW producing up to 78,000 bales of cotton per year), St. Ronans (a 108,000-acre cropping and cattle operation in Far North Queensland yielding an additional 30,000 bales of cotton), Mirrimavale Plantation (a 1,200-acre native hardwood timber plantation), and the Wathagar Gin joint venture with Namoi Cotton, which processes over 200,000 bales per season. The company markets Good Earth Cotton — the world's first traceable, carbon-positive cotton, independently verified by the University of Queensland, reporting yields of 14 bales per hectare and a 235% water efficiency improvement versus conventional cotton — and FibreTrace, a proprietary supply chain traceability technology platform used to verify textile fibres from seed to shelf.

The business model combines commodity cotton and cattle revenues with branded differentiated cotton sales (Good Earth Cotton) to global fashion brands and retailers, supplemented by ginning services, timber plantation carbon sequestration, and emerging platform licensing. Sundown Pastoral is currently building the Good Earth Green Hydrogen and Ammonia (GEGHA) project, a 15 MW green hydrogen and ammonia joint venture with Hiringa Energy, financed by AUD 45.2 million in NSW Government funding and project debt from National Australia Bank. The GEGHA facility will produce up to 4,500 tonnes of green ammonia fertiliser annually, with the majority consumed internally by Sundown's Keytah farm and the balance sold to regional growers, providing price-stable green fertiliser supply and displacing fossil fuel-based nitrogen imports. Once operational, the project is expected to remove up to 17,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions per year.

The company remains under family ownership (David and Danielle Statham) with 11-50 employees, and pursues a multi-channel go-to-market including direct enterprise sales to fashion brands anchored by industry-conference presence (Rabobank Farm2Fork, Kingpins Show Amsterdam), platform licensing through FibreTrace, and B2B fertiliser sales to regional agricultural growers.

Name

Sundown Pastoral

Legal name

Sundown Pastoral Company Pty Ltd

Website

https://sundownpastoral.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sundown Pastoral is a family-owned Australian agricultural enterprise operating 173,000 acres of cotton, cropping, cattle, and timber operations across NSW and Queensland, producing the world's first traceable carbon-positive cotton (Good Earth Cotton) and a proprietary fibre traceability platform (FibreTrace), with a green hydrogen and ammonia fertiliser joint venture (GEGHA) in development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Cotton and Broadacre Agriculture

NAICS

Cotton Farming (11192), Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111), Cotton Ginning (115111), Postharvest Crop Activities (except Cotton Ginning) (115114)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Forestry (800), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Cotton Farming (Upland & Pima/ELS) (AFAGAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Short-Rotation Woody Crops (SRWC) Harvesting (Willow, Poplar) (AFAMAGAE), Seedling & Sapling Production (Containerized) (AFAMADAD)

Keywords

• Regenerative cotton farming
• Broadacre cropping operations
• Carbon positive cotton
• Sustainable cattle operations
• Timber plantation management

Headquarters

HQ city

Moree

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cotton and Broadacre Cropping Sales: Sundown Pastoral generates revenue primarily from the sale of cotton and other broadacre crops produced on its properties. Keytah produces up to 78,000 bales of cotton per year, and St. Ronans produces an additional 30,000 bales of carbon-positive Good Earth Cotton annually.
2. Cotton Ginning Services: Revenue generated from cotton ginning operations at the Wathagar Gin, a joint venture with Namoi Cotton, with throughput capacity of over 200,000 bales per season.
3. Green Ammonia and Fertiliser Sales: GEGHA project produces up to 4,500 tonnes of green ammonia fertiliser annually, primarily consumed by Sundown Pastoral's own Keytah cotton farm, with excess supply available for regional growers, providing competitive stable pricing.
4. Good Earth Cotton Branded Product Sales: Good Earth Cotton brand enables direct-to-consumer and B2B sales of traceable, carbon-positive sustainable cotton to fashion brands, retailers, and consumers who value sustainability credentials.
5. FibreTrace Platform Licensing: FibreTrace technology platform is being expanded globally to other growers and supply chain participants, generating revenue through licensing of the traceability technology platform to fashion supply chains.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sundown Pastoral Company is a vertically integrated Australian agricultural enterprise operating cropping, cotton, cattle, and timber plantations across 173,000 acres in New South Wales and Queensland using regenerative farming practices. The company produces and sells traceable carbon-positive cotton under the Good Earth Cotton brand, provides cotton ginning services through its Wathagar Gin joint venture, licenses its FibreTrace supply chain traceability technology, and produces green ammonia fertiliser via the GEGHA green hydrogen project.

Product overview

Sundown Pastoral Company is a vertically integrated agricultural enterprise operating a portfolio of farming operations and brands. The core operations include Keytah (65,000-acre cotton and broadacre cropping near Moree, NSW), St. Ronans (108,000-acre cropping and cattle operation in North Queensland), Mirrimavale Plantation (timber/carbon sequestration), and Wathagar Ginning (cotton gin partnership with Namoi Cotton). These farming operations are supported by two key brands: Good Earth Cotton (world's first carbon-positive, traceable cotton brand verified by University of Queensland) and FibreTrace (supply chain traceability technology platform for textile fibres). The GEGHA project represents a new green hydrogen and ammonia initiative for fertilizer production. The company also uses regenerative farming techniques including zero tillage, crop rotation, cover crops, and biodiversity practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Good Earth Cotton: Carbon positive, traceable cotton brand cultivated through modern regenerative farming practices that enhance soil health and sequester more carbon than the entire cotton growth lifecycle emits.
• FibreTrace
• GEGHA (Good Earth Green Hydrogen and Ammonia)

Products and services

• Keytah Keytah is a 65,000-acre large-scale sustainable cotton and broadacre cropping operation near Moree, NSW, producing up to 78,000 bales of cotton per year using regenerative farming techniques. It is Sundown Pastoral's primary cotton production site.
• St. Ronans St. Ronans is a 108,000-acre cropping and cattle operation in North Queensland featuring fertile basalt soils, producing 30,000 bales of Good Earth Cotton annually alongside cattle grazing and feedlot operations.
• Mirrimavale Plantation

Quantifiable outcome

• Carbon positive: growth reduces carbon emissions in the atmosphere; independently verified by the University of Queensland
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• AmptcoreTechnology or Integration · 27 October 2025Ampt's String Optimizers are being used for the GEGHA project to power green hydrogen production in Australia. The battery-centric DC-coupled design enables 24-hour hydrogen production for ammonia fertilizer, with a 27 MWdc solar array paired with 30 MWh battery storage.
• Hiringa Energy Pty LtdflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2025Joint venture partner in the Good Earth Green Hydrogen and Ammonia (GEGHA) project near Moree, NSW. Hiringa Energy is a privately owned New Zealand hydrogen company with a physical Australian presence. The JV is managed by Hiringa Energy Pty Ltd. The project produces green hydrogen and ammonia for Sundown Pastoral's agricultural operations, with hydrogen also consumed in Hiringa's heavy-vehicle refuelling network. This is a flagship strategic partnership for decarbonising the agricultural supply chain.
• Namoi CottoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJoint venture partnership with Namoi Cotton for the Wathagar Gin cotton ginning operation. The JV processes over 200,000 bales per season, making it one of the highest performing gins in the world. The gin also implements FibreTrace for real-time traceability.
• Greenfield Resource Options Pty Limited (GRO)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGRO is contracted to sustainably manage the Mirrimavale timber plantation to the same high standards as other Sundown Pastoral properties. GRO is headed by Dr Nigel Turvey, a highly respected forestry specialist with over 40 years experience in plantation forestry, agribusiness and biotechnology.
• University of QueenslandminorOthersThe University of Queensland independently verified Good Earth Cotton as being carbon positive — the world's first traceable carbon-positive cotton. This third-party verification provides credibility for sustainability claims.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Plains Cotton Cooperative Association: Plains Cotton Cooperative Association is a major US cotton grower cooperative providing marketing, ginning, and traceability services to producers. Comparable to Sundown as a large-scale, vertically oriented cotton cooperative serving growers and downstream brands.
• Namoi Cotton: Namoi Cotton is a major Australian cotton ginning and marketing cooperative that is Sundown Pastoral's joint venture partner in the Wathagar Gin (200,000+ bales/season). They are directly comparable as Australian cotton industry participants with overlapping ginning, marketing, and grower services.
• Supima: Supima is the branded marketing organization for American Pima cotton, promoting premium, traceable, identity-preserved cotton to fashion brands and retailers globally. Comparable to Sundown's Good Earth Cotton in that both compete as premium, branded, traceable cotton offerings targeting sustainability-focused fashion buyers.

Broad incumbents

• Louis Dreyfus Company: Louis Dreyfus Company is a global merchandiser of agricultural commodities including cotton, operating across origination, processing, and logistics. Comparable to Sundown as a major participant in cotton and adjacent agricultural commodity markets.
• Cargill Cotton: Cargill is a global agribusiness giant with a sizeable cotton origination and merchandising business serving textile manufacturers and brands. It is comparable to Sundown as a vertically integrated participant in the global cotton supply chain, though at vastly larger scale and breadth.
• Olam Agri: Olam Agri is one of the world's largest cotton and agricultural commodity originators and processors, operating across fibre, grains, and edible oils. It is comparable to Sundown as a global cotton supply chain participant with far broader scale and geographic reach.

Others

• Better Cotton Initiative (BCI): Better Cotton Initiative is the world's largest sustainability standard for cotton, certifying roughly one-fifth of global production and providing traceable, sustainable cotton to brands. Comparable to Sundown as an enabler of sustainability-credentialed cotton flowing into fashion supply chains, and a potential competitor or partner to FibreTrace.
• Patagonia: Patagonia is a leading apparel brand built around sustainability and traceable organic/recycled cotton sourcing. Comparable to Sundown as a downstream customer and demand-setter for traceable, carbon-positive cotton fibres like Good Earth Cotton, shaping the buyer behaviour that justifies premium pricing.

Regional players

• Auscott Limited: Auscott is one of Australia's largest vertically integrated cotton producers, operating farms, gins, and marketing operations in NSW. Comparable to Sundown as a regional Australian cotton industry incumbent with overlapping farming, ginning, and marketing activities.
• Twynam Agricultural Group: Twynam is a large Australian family-owned agricultural enterprise operating cropping, livestock, and water assets across NSW and other states. Comparable to Sundown as an Australian family-owned agribusiness with broadacre cropping and cattle operations.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sundown-pastoral

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Sundown Pastoral