Farmers who suffered damages caused by bad weather have not received a cent from promised EU funds, a former PN candidate said yesterday.

Writing on Facebook, Peter Agius said the government had supposedly approved €5.4 million to cover for damages but had not paid out anything to farmers. Parliamentary Secretary Aaron Farrugia has insisted that the environment ministry is overseeing the reimbursement of farmers for damages incurred.

Many farmers have reported damage to their greenhouses following the gale-force winds that lashed Malta over Friday and Saturday.

In a Facebook post, Agius mocked Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, EU funds Parliamentary Secretary Aaron Farrugia and MEP Miriam Dalli for holding press conferences and uploading tweets but not actually disbursing any funds to farmers.

He said the trio had been all over the media after last February’s storm, pledging to get EU funds for farmers. This week’s storm caused more damage but farmers told Agius that, 10 months after applying for funds they have not received any money.

Agius said the government was caught up in its own bureaucracy. In April, he had told them how they can give direct assistance of up to €15,000 to farmers with the approval of the European Commission, Agius said.

“Do they want our farmers and the entire Maltese product to fail,” he asked?

Replying, PS Aaron Farrugia said Agius knew full well that the damages had not reached the threshold needed to be eligible for EU funds. The submissions had been sent in time, he said. The government had decided to reimburse  farmers for any damages incurred. The process is being carried out by the Ministry for Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Change, Farrugia said.  

Agius then asked Farrugia whether he was confirming that farmers had so far received zero funds. The conversation then degenerated into a tit-for-tat on the number of votes Agius had received in the European Parliament election.