Adelaide-based agribusiness newcomer, Beston Global Food Company, has placed its shares in a trading halt.
Beston, which launched on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) 10 months ago has requested share trading be suspended until July 29.
However, trading may re-commence earlier if an announcement is made to the market before Tuesday.
Beston began as a modest organic dairy investment in South Australia and a one third stake in lucrative southern rock lobster exporter and seafood business, Ferguson Australia early last year.
It later expanded to include beef processing in ties Victoria, two mainstream SA dairy factories bought from the bankrupt Dairy Power, plus several dairy farms.
The company also owns a specialist food ingredients and research business in Sydney.
Last month Beston signed with the Hong Kong catering and food service industry giant JM WoWo to supply meat, seafood, dairy products and Aquaessence mineral water to restaurants in about 90 Chinese cities.
Its board includes notable agribusiness names, Don Taylor (GrainCorp chairman), former Elders and Santos chairman Stephen Gerlach, and investment banker and wine company boss, Roger Sexton.
Dr Sexton, a one-time Australian Bureau of Agricultural Economics economist and director of the Industries Assistance Commission, spent two years establishing Beston, drawing on his own trade relationships in Asia.
Last year the company raised $130m in its ASX float, covering its investment stake in the Paterson family's meat processing and food services business Scorpio Foods in Victoria, its two newly acquired cheese factories in SA and farms.
Its share price, which began trading last August at 33 cents, was at 44c when trading halted today, having hit January peaks of 58c.