Resilient in the face of tough climatic weather conditions and fierce competition from abroad, the local farming industry is a core component of our identity as a southern European nation as much as it is significant to our very subsistence.
It is a sensitive sector on which the livelihood of numerous families depends and which is connected to the quality of the country’s natural environment. All such factors were taken into account within a framework aligned to our environmental goals and conforming to the European Union’s framework in the field of agriculture when, as a government, we outlined the support to be injected in the sector through funds during the 2014-2020 period under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
Our aims were clear: to support local farmers and make their efforts viable and sustainable, to upgrade local products and make agriculture more environmentally sustainable and to promote rural development.
In achieving these goals, 6,000 farmers in Malta and Gozo received direct assistance in the form of compensation. So far, over €10 million were invested to make local farmers’ work viable and ensure their continued good use of land.
Alongside professional advice relating to their specific needs and training in greener practices and management that were made available, over €18 million were invested to improve overall performance, modernise and adapt agriculture. Tangibly, this resulted in the development of reservoirs and upgrading of farms, together with support to farmers to invest in more efficient machinery, including tractors.
A good quality of life is partially dependent on a good quality diet. For this reason, our local producers of milk, a staple in our diet, gained directly under quality schemes. Such investments are visionary in their simplicity as supporting local producers in their craft yields a direct economic multiplier along with a healthier community. It took decisive action to make significant infrastructural interventions that would ultimately result in better water conservation.
We have committed an investment of €21.5 million under the EAFRD for the southern parts of Malta and separate cohesion funds for the central and northern regions, which enabled the supply of highly polished tertiary treated water, also referred to as new water, to be used for agricultural purposes.
A massive project involving trenching, laying of a pipe network and upgrading of reservoirs is making our agricultural sector more sustainable through better water management. Local biodiversity and ecosystems are enhanced on the basis of voluntary schemes that are instilling more efficient cultivation methods adapted to our landscape and more climate-sensitive and efficient soil management.
So far, over €10 million were invested to make local farmers’ work viable- Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi
Around €17 million were invested in farm-access roads in projects which involved a multitude of local councils across the Maltese islands and Infrastructure Malta. Though seemingly paraphernal to the sector, such upgrades in physical infrastructure directly benefit farmers logistically and enhance their competitiveness. There is an element of common good in making rural areas more accessible to everyone.
The past months and years saw sensitive management of valleys and a widespread effort in the restoration and construction of kilometres of rubble walls. While key as windbreakers, in the conservation of soil and draining of fields, rubble walls are a characteristic feature of our local countryside which deserves our attention and protection.
The sustainability of our agricultural sector depends very much on our ability to entice more young individuals to work land and breed livestock. Under the EAFRD, young farmers were supported through a whole cycle initiating with the individual farmer presenting a business plan. With an injection of €3.2 million, this measure assisted young farmers to invest in modern technology.
Protecting our rural land will also depend on our ability to diversify its use and ensure sustainability. European funds, in this regard, are crucial to support the development of projects supporting farmer income diversification through, for example, agritourism-related projects and opening of farm shops. The potential benefits from cleaner and more sustainable tourism cannot be overstated.
Today, we can perceive the pressure put on our natural environment and agriculture by economic progress. It takes a reasoned sensitive approach to sustain farmers and their families to continue supporting our community with local high-quality products and enable the sector to develop sustainably.
Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds.