> > ===> Required package autoconf>=2.50: NOT found
> > ===> Verifying reinstall for ../../devel/autoconf
> > ===> Installing for autoconf-2.13
> > ===>  autoconf-2.13 is already installed - perhaps an older version?
> 
> So what package required this autoconf? But I guess that doesn't matter
> ...

I forgot to mention that sometimes you can just edit the Makefile that has
a build dependency to lower the version numbers (because it may be
accidental or maybe not matter). I haven't tested this and I don't if it
really needs some different feature of 2.52, but maybe you can try:

BUILD_DEPENDS+= autoconf-2.13:../../devel/autoconf

> > ...then went to look for autoconf-2.5 or higher. But netbsd.org's
> > software listing for ../devel/autoconf shows only version 2.13. 
> 
> >From looking at the CVS history for it, autoconf package used to be at
> version 2.52; then on Aug. 28, it went back to 2.13: "Backout upgrade of
> autoconf by popular demand." -- which indicates this was discussed
> somewhere.

   Jeremy C. Reed
   http://www.reedmedia.net/