A nature reserve in Groningen, praised by farm minister Henk Bleker as an example of how farmers can preserve the environment without government cash, has had state subsides of €10m, the Volkskrant reports on Wednesday.

The paper says the money has come from local, provincial, national and European funds and that Bleker himself approved a €170,000 grant while working for Groningen province in 2007.
In addition, a new valuation of the Reiderwolde reserve put the price of the land up so much that sheep farmers get extra cash, the paper says.