Two Queensland men charged over a cannabis farm north of Bundaberg had allegedly been harvesting the drug for more than two years.
The Sunshine Coast pair - aged 48 and 51 - were arrested after detectives found a plantation of more than 370 seedlings and mature cannabis plants across two Lowmead properties on Tuesday.
The raids were the culmination of a six-month police operation.
Detective Senior Sergeant Daren Edwards said the plants were scattered throughout the main 200-hectare property in groups of 20-30.
They were held in raised, netted beds and watered from a dam in what he called a primitive set up.
"Basically they didn't work - that was their employment," Det Edwards said.
"They'd go to that property and spend some time working there and then bring the product down for distribution along the coast and other places."
Police also found 20kg of dried cannabis at one of the properties.
The youngest man has been charged with drug trafficking, possession and production and will appear in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court next month.
The 51-year-old has been charged with drug possession and production, along with a 74-year-old man from Hervey Bay.
Det Edwards said the discovery was likely to put a dent in the supply of cannabis along the coast.
"You can average $3500 for a kilo from each plant," he said.
"It's a substantial amount of money that could be made from the product and obviously they've been going for more than two years, so it was profitable to them."
Police will now investigate where the proceeds of the enterprise ended up.
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