The Amberley-based farmer is listed as sole shareholder of Southern Sights, which owns five adjoining dairy farms near Winton. The properties cover a total of 1207 hectares and produced 1.48 million kilograms of milksolids from 3620 cows in 2013-14. The properties are for sale as a group or individually, PGG Wrightson Real Estate says.
Zeestraten's interests include Five Rivers, a company that proposed development of the Mackenzie basin for shed-based dairy farms, arguing they had a lower environmental footprint than conventional pastoral farming with its irrigation demands. Five Farms had plans to build seven dairy farms near Omarama, keeping up to 7000 cows in cubicle stables for much of the year.
"I'm not getting out of the industry," Zeestraten said. "We're looking at placing the equity in another property which we already own." He declined to make further comment.
A promotional document from Southern Wide Real Estate says Southern Sights is farmed by two of Zeestraten's sons. He is selling the farms to focus on his next venture near Lake Ohau, the brochure says. Most of the cows farmed at Southern Sights have been wintered on the 7000ha property the family now intend to develop for dairying, it said.
