Updated 12.20pm
Maltese farmers gathered on Friday to protest for the first time in 40 years.
Farmers met in Ta' Qali with their tractors, to begin a trip to Floriana. They say existing and new EU policies will threaten their livelihoods.
It is the first protest by Malta's farming sector since 1982 and follows similar protests in other EU countries in recent weeks. Angry farmers have protested in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania.
The local farmers will drive 12km through Attard, Mosta, Lija, Birkirkara, Msida, Pieta and Floriana protesting the EU’s current framework and future ambitions that are "seriously threatening the livelihoods of farmers".
Several attached protest banners to their vehicles reading, among others: "No farmer, eat synthetic", "EU kills its own farmers" and "Green deal? No deal".
Pauline Pisani told Times of Malta that unless Maltese farmers stood up for their rights, no one will.
"Have you heard any politicians in Malta and in the EU saying anything in our defence? Only we know what we're going through," she said.
Another farmer, Karmenu Vassallo added: "We're here because we're fed up with working for nothing. Our costs have increased but we're forgotten. Without us, there will be no food on the table".
It is being organised by the Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi with the support of stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
On Thursday the PN claimed the government was trying to discourage farmers from attending the protest. Reacting, the government said the Opposition was spreading lies, noting that the farmers' planned demonstration would be protesting the European parliament and institutions that are "cut off from reality".
Maltese farmers have joined European counterparts in protest. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli
Farmers are unhappy with EU policies. Photo: Matthew Xuereb. Slide for more photos
Farmers in tractors at Ta' Qali. Photo: Matthew Xuereb
Farmers met on Friday morning in Ta' Qali ahead of a protest that will take them to Floriana. Photo: Matthew Xuereb
What are the farmers protesting?
1. EU trade deals that remove or reduce trade barriers for agricultural products from non-EU countries with laxer regulations. EU farmers say they cannot compete.
Farmers have little faith in EU policies. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli2. EU state aid rules that forbid governments from financially helping farmers for things like damage compensation or increased expenses.
The protest was organised by Ghaqda Bdiewa Attivi. Photo: Matthew Xuereb3. EU rules that reward farmers for leaving fields fallow, to encourage soil fertility. Farmers say this incentivises landowners to keep land unproductive.
Policies protecting the environment need to be sensitive to the sector, farmers, their families and food provision, the farmers' association is insisting. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli4. EU rules intended to make farming more environmentally friendly but which farmers say are being introduced too quickly and without the necessary support to ensure farm production is not impacted. They cite EU policies such as the Green Deal, Biodiversity Strategy, the Regulation on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products, the Nature Restoration Law, the new provisions in the Common Agricultural Policy and other legislative proposals.
"Such aggressive, quick and ambitious changes within these legislative frameworks will have detrimental effects on the food landscape in Malta and Europe, in general, since they would significantly affect the tools (such as chemicals and land available) used by farmers to produce food," Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi said.
"Hence the provisions of these environmental legislations should be achieved once ensuring that economical alternatives to these affected tools exist and that all measures are in place for the impact on farmers to be mitigated."
Farmers preparing for the protest. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli