The Opposition is publishing incorrect facts with regard to farmers in Malta and the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights condemns this spreading of fake news which is none other than populist politics which only serves to create concerns where there are none.
In statements made by the Opposition, it was stated that Maltese farmers receive a fourth of the assistance that Italian farmers receive. This is a lie. This could not be further from the truth, and these allegations are nothing but a disinformation attempt intended to undermine the confidence that farmers have in their own work.
Whoever is coming up with these calculations either has ill intentions or really does not understand.
The first error made by the Opposition is of not making a distinction between the various forms of direct assistance, the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) from which most of our farmers receive assistance and the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CISYF), amongst others. They also fail to distinguish between more specific assistance such as those that are given for the cultivation of tomatoes and to sheep producers.
These are the facts – Maltese farmers under the BISS scheme in 2023 received a direct payment of a maximum of €844.34 or a minimum of €475.20 for every hectare of land while an Italian farmer received a maximum of €183.91 or a minimum of €150.47. The difference in assistance in favour of Maltese farmers is even more clear in the case of the CISYF. In 2023 young farmers in Malta received a maximum of €560 which goes up to a maximum of €700 in the year 2024, or a minimum of €520.64 for every hectare, while Italian young farmers receive a maximum of €89.65 or a minimum of €67. This substantial difference replicates itself in every aspect of assistance given to farmers. For example, when it comes to tomatoes, which is so important for the agricultural sector, Maltese farmers receive a maximum of €8500 as opposed to Italian farmers that receive a maximum of €191.
The truth is that this Government managed to double the direct assistance given to farmers when compared to 10 years ago. The truth is that this Government has always protected the interests of local farmers and producers who are not only seeing a substantial increase in assistance but are also reassured by all the significant reforms that we have achieved in the valuation of agricultural land regulations.
On the contrary, it is very clear that the Nationalist Party has nothing to offer our farmers and producers except for disinformation and incompetence.
