The Co-operative Group sells farms business for £249 million

The Co-operative Group has announced the sale of its Farms business to the Wellcome Trust for £249 million.

The sale reflects The Co-operative’s decision to focus on its core retail and consumer services divisions, including food, funeralcare, general insurance and legal services.

The net proceeds of the Farms sale will be used to further reduce The Co-operative’s debt and invest in its core businesses.

The sale of the business as a going concern incorporates The Co-operative’s existing farming operations, and includes 15,997 hectares (39,533 acres) of freehold and third party owned land, 15 farms, including 3 pack houses, over 100 residential properties and 27 commercial properties

The Wellcome Trust is the world’s second highest-spending charitable foundation, dedicated to driving improvements in human and animal health.

It spends more than £700 million a year on supporting bright minds in biomedical research, the humanities and the social sciences, and on public engagement and education in these fields.

The Wellcome Trust’s notable achievements include funding much of the sequencing of the human genetic code, and research that enabled the introduction of the frontline drugs used to fight malaria.

This work is supported by the Trust’s £16.5 billion endowment, which has grown by 153% over the past decade. Its diverse global portfolio is managed by a professional team which is known for taking a long-term approach to investment, and for developing and growing its assets.

The Wellcome Trust owns property valued at £1.8 billion as of September 2013, including a major estate in South Kensington, London, which has benefited from a significant investment programme since its acqiuistion in the mid-1990s. It has significant agricultural holdings, including in Hinxton in Cambridgeshire, Kings Langley in Hertfordshire, and Alpraham in Cheshire.

Richard Pennycook, interim group chief executive of The Co-operative Group, said: “The successful sale of our Farms business is another important development for The Co-operative Group.

“The sale proceeds will enable us to further reduce our debt and progress with the delivery of the clear strategic plans we have in place for our core retail and consumer services’ divisions.

“In the Wellcome Trust we have a buyer whose values are closely aligned to those of The Co-operative. They have a proven track record in managing a sustainable investment portfolio, the proceeds of which are used to fund improvements in biomedical science and learning.

“The Wellcome Trust has acquired an excellent farming business characterised by the quality and professionalism of colleagues and high levels of customer service.

“I expect the farming business to continue to thrive under their committed long-term ownership.”

Danny Truell, chief investment officer of the Wellcome Trust, said: “The Wellcome Trust has a strong track record as a long-term investor which values responsible stewardship over quick profits, with extensive and successful interests in UK property and farmland.

“We believe that we are ideally placed to develop and grow The Co-operative Group’s farms and farm business while providing continuity, and are delighted to have acquired them in what will be one of the largest global deals of its kind.

“The Trust’s philosophy is to provide long-term investment for the businesses and property we hold in good times and in bad.

“We will take this approach to running Farmcare Trading Ltd as a going concern, giving a business that is already strong and successful the support and resources it needs to grow, to the benefit of employees, tenants, partners and local communities.

“Over the last 20 years, we have become one of the largest landlords in the UK as part of owning a globally diversified portfolio. We seek to be one of the most responsible.”