The government will this week launch a reform to halt the eviction of farmers from agricultural land and ensure food security for the country, the Prime Minister said on Sunday.
The same reform would also ensure that landowners earn fairer annual rent, which, however, has to reflect the land’s necessity in the country’s food security chain.
Robert Abela was addressing party supporters in Paola, a day before parliament reconvenes.
This week, the government will be tabling legal amendments protecting agricultural land for a first reading. Separately, a White Paper will be launched to kick off a discussion on the future of the sector, he said.
Abela told the political activity the government had, over the past few years, managed to turn every crisis into an opportunity.
Referring to food security, he said evicting farmers from land they tilled impacted the environment, the farmer’s own livelihood and consumers’ supply of produce.
“This week we will launch a reform that addresses a reality no one has been brave enough to tackle yet. It will focus on the sustainability of the agricultural sector, the protection of rural land and food security.
"The reform is two-pronged: it will firstly protect farmers. This protection will be immediate: farmers will be given peace of mind that they cannot be evicted from land they till, therefore ensuring food security.
“We will also offer peace of mind to landowners who currently earn very little annual rent... by introducing valuations that respect the land’s characteristics and use as an essential one for the country’s food sector.”
Ever since a court in 2020 declared that the rural leases law is unconstitutional, dozens of farmers have ended up in court, with private landowners challenging the so-called qbiela law.
In 2021, an exercise by Times of Malta found that one tumolo of land was being advertised for at least €40,000.
Advertised prices spiked to €266,000 for two tumoli of arable land in Rabat and €1.5 million for three tumoli with one large room in Siġġiewi. Farmers looking into acquiring arable land were being asked for up to €80,000 per tumolo, and this is unaffordable for most, as an average of 12 tumoli are needed to start a full-time agribusiness.
That same year, cabinet approved changes to agricultural lease laws in a bid to ease the transfer of land between family members, but this only applies to public land.
Farmers say that court cases threatening their eviction from land their family has tilled for generations is leading to heightened mental stress and anxiety they have not experienced before.
In his address on Sunday, Abela slammed the Opposition for criticising the government when people are allowed to develop land that a PN government had transformed from an outside development zone to one that can be built on.
Electronic tagging, protecting journalists and vulnerable workers
Abela also said on Sunday that with parliament reconvening on Monday, the House of Representatives will, in the coming days, also be discussing the “revolutionary” electronic tagging of people serving particular jail sentences.
A media reform is also up for debate as is the need to legislate to protect the most vulnerable workers, he added.
Referring to the budget for 2023, set to be announced in parliament on October 24, Abela said plans for next year will focus on stability and sustainability.
The “ship of the state”, he said, will battle the waves from abroad.
He promised pensioners “priority” and an increase in remuneration.
'We could have postponed the free bus service'
The Prime Minister also referred to the free public transport service, an initiative that was implemented on Saturday.
Malta pledged to make buses free during last year's budget. It is the second country in Europe, after Luxembourg, to make buses free for all residents.
All routes - standard, night and specialised - are now free-of-charge for residents.
Residents must possess a valid Tallinja bus card to travel for free. Anyone without a Tallinja card must purchase a valid ticket.
“We could have legitimately postponed the free scheme, but we keep our promises. This measure is two-pronged: it will have an environmental and a social impact, as it will save people hundreds of euros,” Abela said.
By the end of the year, the government will have invested more than €473 million in the energy sector while a further €600 million investment was planned for next year, he added.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine had brought about an energy crisis, with the EU recently voting to reduce consumption he said.
Earlier this week, Malta was exempted from an EU plan to slash peak-hour power consumption, agreed upon by member states in an effort to bring down sky-high energy prices.
Abela said on Sunday that had this measure been applied to Malta it would have meant a drop in consumption that would lead to the shrinking of the country’s economy.
He urged those in local leadership positions to remain brave and take decisions that bring about change.
“The easiest thing to do is to be cautious and overthink decisions. Being overcautious keeps you from taking the necessary decisions to move forward,” he added.