What happened to the buying land in Eastern Europe idea.?

[Pilatus]

A few years ago,a few enterprising individuals invested in farming ventures in Eastern Europe (land that used to be owned by RUSSIA)..
What happened to that idea / ideal.??
Did one or two TFF members venture out there?
What was the outcome, are they still farming out there?

 

[teslacoils]

I said I was off to farm in Poland.
Mrs teslacoils said I wasn't.
So I didn't.

 

[Hesstondriver]

I said I was off to farm in Poland.
Mrs teslacoils said I wasn't.
So I didn't.

I’m glad you comprised, just like our marriage

 

[it's not over]

I said I was off to farm in Poland.
Mrs teslacoils said I wasn't.
So I didn't.

Why would you bring an apple to the orchard

 

[Top Tip.]

I said I was off to farm in Poland.
Mrs teslacoils said I wasn't.
So I didn't.

Secret to a happy marriage ,do as you’re told!!

 

[milkloss]

Secret to a happy marriage ,do as you’re told!!

You’re doing it wrong:

make her think you’re doing what you’re told and never, never let her find out the truth. (She probably knows what you’re up to anyway!)

 

[Two Tone]

There was a British guy who wrote articles for FW (Talking Point?) who managed a farm in Russia, not far from Sochi. IIRC his name is Robin Jewer. I was fortunate to be asked to have supper with him and several other farmers one evening for a no holds barred chat about his experiences.

My abiding memory of the whole evening was learning about the unbelievable amount of theft, bribery and corruption involved. Everything was paid for in cash. Credit did not exist. When Robin rebelled against it all, he was put on the next aeroplane home and told in no uncertain terms that if he returned he would be shot!

 

[Dead Rabbits]

I’d like to hear experiences as well. I worked with a danish guy who managed the manure spreading from hog farms in Ukraine then Russia. He sure had some good stories. Took a Ukrainian wife even.

I’ve been told China leases 10% of Ukrainie. That country has some interesting land ownership laws and the collective farms were split up into small holdings is my understanding.

That German dude milking near 100k cows in Russia would be one to talk to.

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

Wonder if this bloke is still at it or in a gulag somewhere...

 

[Pigken]

Seem to remember been told tale about man from rushyford/old eldon way that went to farm russia/Ukraine, he was found dead in hotel room. Believe large dairy farm from Yorkshire way on that have low loaders had a family member out there. As said tales of corruption paying off local gang leaders and mafia related things were all told. Knew some one involved with pigs out there, they had to follow every wagon load of pig feed for fear of it been stolen.

 

[livestock 1]

Seem to remember been told tale about man from rushyford/old eldon way that went to farm russia/Ukraine, he was found dead in hotel room. Believe large dairy farm from Yorkshire way on that have low loaders had a family member out there. As said tales of corruption paying off local gang leaders and mafia related things were all told. Knew some one involved with pigs out there, they had to follow every wagon load of pig feed for fear of it been stolen.

I heard about that tale too. Land was cheap when Russia went tits up for a while when the break up/ breakaway carry on went on. The Yorkshire folk flew a combine out there had to pay protection and so forth. Don’t think it lasted long. Possibly made a few £££ and more importantly stayed alive.
A fella from Northumberland bought one in Poland years ago and they jailed him out there for a while. Thy didn’t like the idea of what he’d done so locked him up until they decided what to do about it.

 

[matthew]

The big corporations seem to have managed. Smithfield (US) control a lot of Poland's pig farms. And I say 'farms' guardedly, because they aren't farms as we would know them. Many are placed deep in the forests, and house thousands of sows, with effluent killing the forestry all around them. Unseen.
With land, when the eastern memebers of the EU first joined, only a national could own land or property, so the big lads, had to find a willing partner to put his name on the paperwork.
Cargill managed quite well, with thousands of acres of maize grown on what were the collective farms.

And as said, the 'mafia' culture is alive and well.

 

[Optimus]

Sure there a guy writes in the Scottish farmer about farming in Ukraine.

My dad was speaking to a guy who manages a farm out there .the area they farm was huge.they were on about big farms around here having 2/3 big combines.he said they had 33!

 

[livestock 1]

A sheep dealer I know was asked for 200 pedigree Suffolk tups to go to Poland. They decided to breed their own pre Brexit. Reckon the land is very good.

 

[livestock 1]

Sure there a guy writes in the Scottish farmer about farming in Ukraine.

My dad was speaking to a guy who manages a farm out there .the area they farm was huge.they were on about big farms around here having 2/3 big combines.he said they had 33!

Depends what nick they are in lol

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Sure there a guy writes in the Scottish farmer about farming in Ukraine.

My dad was speaking to a guy who manages a farm out there .the area they farm was huge.they were on about big farms around here having 2/3 big combines.he said they had 33!

They often needed that many to keep 3 or 4 running as a lot of the old kit was unreliable.
When JD and Massey kit arrived it was far better but still had issues getting spares.

My brief experience on the Steppes was you needed to be able to drink a lot of Vodka and accept a high level of corruption.
The only areas that seem to have done reasonably well post Soviet are countries like Czech, Slovakia and Slovenia, with cropping expanding rapidly on some fairly marginal land.

 

[Optimus]

They often needed that many to keep 3 or 4 running as a lot of the old kit was unreliable.
When JD and Massey kit arrived it was far better but still had issues getting spares.

My brief experience on the Steppes was you needed to be able to drink a lot of Vodka and accept a high level of corruption.
The only areas that seem to have done reasonably well post Soviet are countries like Czech, Slovakia and Slovenia, with cropping expanding rapidly on some fairly marginal land.

The impression my dad got. Was they were majority lexions an a few JD .no idea on age of them.

 

[steveR]

Secret to a happy marriage ,do as you’re told!!

So I am told.......!!

 

[ploughman1963]

Was Metcalfs the Yorkshire farmers that were out there? Seem to remember them being invoked but could have been on same lines as Colin Hichley?

 

[early riser]

Was Metcalfs the Yorkshire farmers that were out there? Seem to remember them being invoked but could have been on same lines as Colin Hichley?

yes Metcalfe Farms were involved but I believe that ended a number of years ago