Farmers' group petitions Archbishop, President

A group of some 45 farmers and their families have petitioned the Archbishop, Mgr Joseph Mercieca, and President Guido de Marco for assistance on their claims that they were not taken account of in EU negotiations and that the formula used in the last budget to calculate their expenses bore no relation to reality.

The farmers are to be given subsidies to make up for the removal of levies, on the basis of the calculations.

Romain Galea Serchem, who is representing the petitioners, said yesterday that basic costings covering just one crop - the white flesh potato - showed that farmers' costs were 63 per cent of the price, and not 20 per cent as had been calculated.

To ensure that all costs are covered, the government is taking farmers' expenses to be 40 per cent.

Mr Galea Serchem said they had taken part in the exercise to establish the formula but could not now understand how the figures quoted were reached.

As for the negotiations, they claim they were not consulted by their representatives. Whenever they used to ask them about the progress of talks, they used to be told that it was all still a secret. Now they were faced with a package they did not agree with.

Mr Galea Serchem said that a meeting with the Archbishop had been held in which he expressed concern at the situation and surprise at the lack of consultation between the farmers' representatives and the farmers.