During a meeting of the Council of Ministers for Agriculture in Brussels, which was attended by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights Anton Refalo, among the various themes the impact of the crisis was discussed international because of the conflict in Ukraine, on farmers, villagers and fishermen.
Regarding this, Minister Refalo expressed Malta’s concern about the extent to which the funds allocated under the Agricultural Crisis Reserve can address the difficulties facing farmers and villagers in Malta. The minister drew attention to how the budget allocation for Malta was worked out and stressed the need for alternative measures that can continue to help Maltese farmers who are facing the current challenges. He referred to the support that the Maltese Government is giving through the subsidy in energy prices as well as the fertilizer voucher scheme, which are being crucial to keep farmers operating.
Minister Refalo showed satisfaction for the approval of the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy for the period 2023-2027 of Malta. This plan will address several aspects including that farmers and villagers have a fair income; to safeguard the landscape and biodiversity of our country; that innovation continues to increase and that the farmer has a better position in the food chain. He explained the preparations for the implementation of the same plan, including the release of various schemes that will respond to the needs of farmers.
Regarding the protection of animals, Minister Refalo claimed that while Malta agrees that animal protection standards should be increased and updated on a European level, he stressed that the revision of the laws should be based on the latest scientific findings and that there should be flexibility so that member states can implement measures that are viable in their territory.
During the same meeting, an agreement was reached on the regulation for fishing opportunities for the year 2023, which resulted in an increase in the tuna fishing quotas for Malta. The increase of 44 tons was achieved after work that has been going on for several months, and which will be added to what Malta already had and will be distributed to Maltese and Gozitan fishermen in the coming season.
Photo (MAFA)
