The Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights associates itself with the position of the unions in the field of farming and the Chamber of Architects regarding the need to protect the crop. In fact, the government showed this by addressing the biggest problem in the field of farming, that of protecting the farmer who works, in order to ensure that the farming continues to be worked for its purpose.
This was done through a comprehensive reform, which includes various measures and actions that are being implemented during this legislature. The goal of the reform that was announced in 2022, is to protect the farm in the public interest in a legitimate and proportionate way so that justice is done to all parties including the owner, reducing excess speculation , rural areas are protected, and, above all, support is given to farming in the background of its importance in the food supply.
The reform recognized that crop protection is fundamental to guarantee the sustainability of farming, food production, and the protection of the rural environment. The first historical step was the change in the Act on the Renewal of Farm Leases, where a legislative change was introduced that creates a balance between the rights of the owner and those of the farmers who work the agricultural land. Following this change, through a power that was given to the minister responsible for agriculture, a legal notice was published that created a proportionate framework for the increase in the rental of the farm, which considers the agricultural activity.
Recently, the Agricultural Act was introduced, which empowers the minister responsible for agriculture to safeguard agricultural activities and implement improvements by creating regulations and incentives in favor of agricultural land. Apart from the introduction of laws, the implementation of the reform began with the establishment of an Agency that has the responsibility to care for the agricultural land, as well as measures were launched in favor of the protection of the crops.
In fact one of the measures that was announced in last year’s budget and is in the process of being carried out this year is that of establishing measures that protect and ensure the need for agricultural land to be worked for the purpose its agricultural. The process started with a public consultation on the need to protect crops during the Agrifair held in April this year, which led to a draft legal framework that was presented to the Consultative Council Agricultural, which serves as a platform that facilitates direct dialogue with the farming community.
This bill is intended to protect the crop by limiting the fragmentation of the crop to a size that does not make sense for farming, which ensures that the crop is worked for an agricultural purpose and that it is kept in good condition. Another milestone that was reached as part of the reform, was the publication of a legal notice that regulates the categorization of farmers and villagers.
Through this legal notice, the Directorate of Agriculture each year has the power to classify farmers based on the production from their activity. This instrument will be used in the implementation of the agricultural policy that rewards those farmers who really work the land and contribute towards food security and sovereignty in the Maltese islands. The government reiterates its commitment to continue to carry out the reform in the field of farming and to continue introducing legislative instruments that ensure the protection of farmers and farming in the best way. In the next budget, a number of new measures will be announced that continue to build on what has already been done.
