The sale of 450 hectares of agricultural land in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is causing commotion among farmers in the area. The fact is that far too little has been paid for the land. Moreover, the farmers were not given the opportunity to bid.
The land was owned by the social service OCMW of the city of Ghent, writes de PZC† According to a group of 13 Flemish farmers, the 450 hectares were sold at a price that was far too low. Their lawyer, Nic Reynaert, will sue the OCMW Gent shortly. He also lodged a complaint with the European Commission for 'unauthorized state aid'.
Dutch involvement
The buyer is a Dutch subsidiary of a Luxembourg company of the Flemish port operator Fernand Huts. He paid an average of €41.000 per hectare, according to the lawyer. "While the current market price is twice as high." According to Reynaert, the OCMW has harmed itself and the interested farmers. "The farmers have been sidelined by marketing the 2 hectares in 450 package."
The OCMW Gent, in turn, said it chose to avoid red tape and not to be left with pieces of unusable land. The proceeds will go towards the construction of a residential care center.
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