Ministers Silvio Schembri and Anton Refalo launched a € 2.5 million scheme aimed at providing financial assistance to Maltese and Gozitan farmers due to the difficulties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In total, the government has allocated € 4 million in aid to farmers and ranchers.
“Due to the effect of the pandemic and the lack of demand for the product of the local villagers, we also thought of helping the villagers directly. All this in a holistic way and with an ongoing analysis of the development of the situation to ensure that we provide the best possible form of assistance. In the same way that earlier we reached about 4,900 farmers with a scheme of € 1.5 million, today we are here to announce a scheme of € 2.5 million that will reach more than 700 farmers “, explained Minister Schembri.
Minister Silvio Schembri said the scheme applies to micro and small enterprises that are active in animal production. Eligible sectors, which also include a number of sectors that have never received financial assistance are dairy, beef, pork, sheep, goats, chickens, bees and rabbits.
Minister Refalo said many factors have influenced the demand of the products and seriously affected the financial resources, time and efforts of the farmers and villagers. Thus, the government has decided to provide financial assistance to all those affected in order to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic.
Farmers will be able to access direct aid to support financial income in this sector following the negative impact on the market of the pandemic. Direct aid is calculated on the basis of the amount of eligible animals available to the beneficiary.
In order to apply for the aid you must fill in the declaration attached to the application, which will be sent by post to all eligible people. This declaration shall be submitted by post in the envelope provided to the Agency for Agricultural and Rural Payments (ARPA) by 30 November 2020 at the latest.
For more information on this scheme you can contact the Agency for Agricultural and Rural Payments (ARPA) by sending an email to arpa.mafa@gov.mt or by phone 22 92 61 48.
Photo (MEIB / MAFA)
