Pheasant farm unsold

Press, 29 October 1977, Page 6

Pheasant farm unsold

The pheasant farm of Woodfield Park, Ltd, at Clarkville, was passed in at auction yesterday afternoon at $97,500, but negotiations for sale by private treaty with two interested parties will be made during the week-end. The auctioneer, Mr R. I. Stark, of Wrightson N.M.A., Ltd, said yesterday that he did not expect to know the outcome of the negotiations before Monday.

The farm lias a pheasantbreeding unit, a split-level, architecturally designed house with a sleep-out, a

f separate garage, and a t swimming pool, in a wood- ; land setting on 4.42 Ha. i The property has a Gov- ; ernment valuation of ' $91,800. It has 6000 pheai sants, plus eggs, valued ■ about $12,500. Bidding began at $75,000 . and rose in bids of $5OOO, , $2500, $lOOO, and finally ‘ $5OO, to $97,500 which Mr ! Stark said, was “just a little > below the reserve price.” I Mr Stark told the 30

people at auction that the plant would cost a purchaser an additional $8442, and would not be sold with- the property, as previously suggested. He said that the pheasant farm would be a viable business to the right person, and

that there was a world market ready ,for pheasant exports, ’ provided Government regulations allowed it. The pheasant farm was bought by Mr P. Ryan six years ago as a going concern, in anticipation of a good European market for pheasants. But complications arose when he found that the birds could not be exported without special permission and certification, as laid down in the Meat Act.

After several years, without exporting, pheasant was reclassified under new poultry regulations which are expected to become law this year. They allow for exports of the birds to any country in the world.