Farmers whose crops have been destroyed by a recent spate of grass fires will receive compensation from the government, Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo has promised.

“We have already issued a call for farmers to tell us what damage they had incurred. We are now assigning officials to visit these fields and issue compensation,” Refalo said.

They will issue the amount which is a fair price for compensation- Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo

He could not give details about amounts and whether the aid will be subject to capping, saying these were still being worked out and the damage quantified.

“We are committed to helping farmers, especially today when we have just experienced over two years of the pandemic and we now have the war in Ukraine. We are seriously committed to assisting them as they need all the help,” Refalo said.

“Our technical people will visit the farm, give valuations, quotes and look at the produce. After that they will issue the amount which is a fair price for compensation.”

Following one fire that devastated the field of a farmer in Swieqi, Malcolm Borg, head of farmers’ lobby Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi, told Times of Malta that farmers are only compensated for grass fires when the blaze was intentional.

He also specified that the government only provides compensation for farmers when 30 per cent of the national product is damaged.

Referring to another farmer, whose fields went up in flames following the explosions at Dwejra fireworks factory recently, the minister said he too would be eligible to apply for compensation.

The minister was speaking to Times of Malta on Friday after the launch of three EU-funded schemes for farmers worth a total of €6.5 million.