Dairy farm buy defies pessimism
Dairy farm buy defies pessimism
IN STARK defiance of the current mood of pessimism hanging over the dairy industry, a farmer looking for a milking unit for his second son was the purchaser of Moor End Farm, Gnosal, Staffs, last week.
The 143-acre dairy farm went under the hammer for £720,000 – joint agents Barbers and Hinson Parry handled the sale – comfortably exceeding the guide price of around £600,000. Although land agent Bill Parry does admit he was urging interested parties to think more in the region of £650,000.
Mr Parry, who has been practising for almost 30 years in the area, says he is pleased the farm has gone to a farmer. "That is how we pitched the sale and there was farming interest all the way." The underbidder was a local businessman with farming interests, he adds.
Retirement
Moor End came to the market after the decision of farmer Tom Talbot to retire. Mr Talbot only owned 80 acres of the holding, having rented the balance from Phyllis Bourne for the past 30 years, but Mr Parry says it quickly became apparent that it made more sense for the two owners to combine and sell jointly.
Originally due to be sold a year ago, the disposal was delayed by foot-and-mouth, this, however, did not affect the price achieved, reckons the agent. "There has been such a dearth of available farms in the locality, this was the first sale for almost 18 months." *