The Mafia & Farmland

[uztrac]

An article on Sky reported that the Mafia in Sicily have claimed around £ 8.5 million from the EU for farmland that does not exist in subsidy payments,and some culprits were arrested in this regard today. I shall be even happier when the 31st January arrives to get out of the gravy train.

 

[Bogweevil]

Outrageous and well done you and all other principled farmers for returning all your subsidies over the years.

 

[betweenthelines]

Apparently Mafia gets lots of subsidies based on head count alone.

 

[M-J-G]

@bobk are these some if your connections?

 

[vantage]

Well Italy does take a light touch to subsidy infringement.

 

[yin ewe]

Outrageous and well done you and all other principled farmers for returning all your subsidies over the years.

An article on Sky reported that the Mafia in Sicily have claimed around £ 8.5 million from the EU for farmland that does not exist in subsidy payments,and some culprits were arrested in this regard today. I shall be even happier when the 31st January arrives to get out of the gravy train.

I think this is the outrageous bit, all subsidy that I have claimed over the years has been for land that is there- at least on the map according to dard.

 

[yin ewe]

Well Italy does take a light touch to subsidy infringement.

Super levy on milk quota would be a fairly good example

 

[Shughie McFee]

meanwhile cousin morag get's penalised £12.50 for planting corn too close to the hedge......

 

[Princess Pooper]

I used to work at an accountants in the Vale of Evesham. Clients included some very big Italian - run businesses growing fresh produce. At the draft accounts review meeting we raised concerns with the partners of one business about a particular substantial outstanding debt and if they were taking legal action to recover it, should we allow for a bad debt?. Response 'We don't need solicitors, we have guns. '

A week or so later, we received a letter from the family to say that following a visit by the ** brothers (cousins of theirs) the debt had been recovered in full.

 

[vantage]

A rep called here , apparently his BIL is Italian. The BIL’s father, in 1956, when the EEC was formed, put in a claim for 2000 olive trees. 60 years later an official called at the farm to see the farmer, now the son. The satellite had flown over and there was no trace of the trees. Son admits , actually they’ve never had any trees. Official notes this and merely says not to claim in future, no other action taken!

 

[PostHarvest]

Nothing very new in this, for years people in Greece and Italy claimed subsidy for olive groves that were larger in area than the entire countries of both Greece and Italy, mountains, ski resorts, beaches and all.

 

[Wombat]

meanwhile cousin morag get's penalised £12.50 for planting corn too close to the hedge......

We got fined 2% for passing an inspection with no issues

 

[Bogweevil]

I think this is the outrageous bit, all subsidy that I have claimed over the years has been for land that is there- at least on the map according to dard.

And quite right too. But people who are glad to be off a "gravy train" at the end of the month no doubt have not dipped their Yorkshire pud in that particular gravy over the years. I salute people of such sturdy principles

 

[Exfarmer]

Seem to remember a farmer a few years ago, was claiming for land to the west of the Scilly Isles

 

[yin ewe]

And quite right too. But people who are glad to be off a "gravy train" at the end of the month no doubt have not dipped their Yorkshire pud in that particular gravy over the years. I salute people of such sturdy principles

Gravy train will carry on as normal as we're 'guaranteed' payment until 2023, doubt the EU would guarantee it much further ahead than that.

 

[Muck Spreader]

Seem to remember a farmer a few years ago, was claiming for land to the west of the Scilly Isles

Is it this guy you are thinking about? He claimed up to £600k for fields near Iceland and Greenland.
https://www.nao.org.uk/report/agricultural-fraud-the-case-of-joseph-bowden/

 

[Muck Spreader]

An article on Sky reported that the Mafia in Sicily have claimed around £ 8.5 million from the EU for farmland that does not exist in subsidy payments,and some culprits were arrested in this regard today. I shall be even happier when the 31st January arrives to get out of the gravy train.

https://www.politico.eu/article/94-arrested-in-italy-over-eu-agriculture-funding-fraud/

 

[betweenthelines]

If you were an EU official and a certain type of Italian gent was "very insistent" that you accept his claim, would you say no?

 

[ollie989898]

An article on Sky reported that the Mafia in Sicily have claimed around £ 8.5 million from the EU for farmland that does not exist in subsidy payments,and some culprits were arrested in this regard today. I shall be even happier when the 31st January arrives to get out of the gravy train.

This has been going on for years no doubt but the true figures will never come to light.

Can you imagine the capers that would carry on in Eastern Europe had the scheme been allowed to extend under the same arrangements?

 

[primmiemoo]

Seem to remember a farmer a few years ago, was claiming for land to the west of the Scilly Isles

And I met one of the v switched on civil servants who nabbed 'im - if it's the same case! A good, diligent chap, that one.