Australian Cattle Barons Make Counterbid for Kidman

Four of Australia’s wealthiest farming barons have launched a counterbid to prevent Chinese investors from buying the country’s largest cattle farm, S. Kidman & Co.  The BBHO consortium—comprising the families of influential Australian outback ranchers Tom Brinkworth, Sterling Buntine, Malcolm Harris and Viv Oldfield whose interests span livestock, grain and transport—said on Sunday it had secured financing to offer 386 million Australian dollars (US$294 million) for 100% of Kidman’s shares in what would be one of the country’s biggest agribusiness deals on record.