Malta welcomed the Vision for Agriculture and Food adopted by the European Commission, which provides a clear roadmap for the future of the agricultural sector.
Minister Anton Refalo stated that Malta considers the four areas on which the vision focuses as essential and crucial. These are an attractive sector, a competitive and resilient sector, a future-proof sector, and fair living and working conditions in rural areas. “What we want to ensure is that these priorities generate the much-needed impetus and have the tangible impact that the sector deserves in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of agricultural and food systems,” said Minister Refalo.
The market situation was also discussed during the Council, with Minister Refalo stressing the importance of continuing to closely monitor the situation. He reiterated that Malta faces additional costs due to its insularity, which leads to higher raw material prices, which affects food prices for consumers. He also referred to animal and plant health, which, due to wider implications, could have a negative impact on markets if diseases spread.
During his intervention on the topic of Rural Proofing, Minister Refalo stressed how crucial it is to design policy in this area, in order to ensure that the unique and varied needs of rural communities are taken into account. “The challenges of rural areas in Malta are very different when compared to many other Member States. This is due to our small size, high population density, and unique socio-economic context. This puts pressure on agricultural land, fragmentation of fields and the small-scale economy. Therefore, we stress the importance that before adopting new policy tools, these differences, even between countries, should be taken into account.”
While mentioning how Malta is implementing the National Agricultural Policy together with the Rural Policy for the Maltese Islands, where he also mentioned the Government’s work in the field of agriculture, Minister Refalo welcomed the emphasis in the recently adopted Vision on rural areas and looks forward to further discussion on this subject in more detail.
