Assistance for farmers on the way

The Department of Agriculture will be calling for applications from farmers and breeders in September, for financial assistance in view of EU membership, Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono said.

More than anything, the department would also be focusing on offering them the right information, she said, stressing the importance of teaching them how to improve their crops professionally.

Speaking at the traditional Wirja tal-Biedja u Snajja 2003, held at Villa Rundle in Victoria, on Thursday and yesterday, Ms Debono said the agriculture sector stood to benefit from EU membership.

Gozo had 5,000 full- and part-time farmers and a third of the arable land on the islands, she said.

Every piece of agricultural land in Gozo has been studied and its location, size and what it was good for logged, while every single animal has been registered for precise data on their quality and quantity.

The exercise was not only carried out in view of EU membership, but also to serve as a safeguard in the case of the transfer of animals from one farm to another and to protect the consumer, Ms Debono said.

About 145 exhibitors - farmers, breeders and craftsmen - with 2,844 entries, ranging from cattle to seeds, participated in the popular exhibition.

Several visitors toured the public gardens yesterday, despite the heat, to view the exhibits, which also included fruit and vegetables, tools, birds, fowl, rabbits and dogs, as well as examples of local industry, from bales of wool to straw hats, baskets, carpets and equipment and the products of the Gozo Cheeselet Producers Cooperative.

The works and crafts taught at Gozo's school of art were also exhibited for the first time.

The patron of the fair, President Guido de Marco, said Gozo was experiencing a renaissance and was moving forward - as evidenced by the buzzing commercial activity on the island.

He presented awards at the prize-giving ceremony, during which 778 trophies and cash prizes were distributed to the winners of the various competition categories.

Awards were also presented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Anton Tabone, MPs Frederick Azzopardi and Justyne Caruana, exhibition committee president Anton Mizzi and Victoria mayor Vivienne Galea Pace.

The fair was organised by the Socjetà Agrikola, Industrijali u Kulturali t'Ghawdex, within the Gozo Ministry, in collaboration with the Rural Affairs and the Environment Ministry and Victoria local council.

It has been held since 1855 - at the Victoria primary school until 1939, after which it moved to Villa Rundle in 1943.