Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri and Parliamentary Secretary Chris Bonett unveiled the 'Fields of Diversity' project on Wednesday, which aims to "identity, conserve, and propagate indigenous Maltese fruit trees and to grow the endemic queen bee population on the islands."

The project was valued at €261,000, of which €170,500 are European funds granted through the Rural Development Program 2014-2020, and €90,500 are national funds.

Camilleri said that the entire rural community will benefit from this project, further strengthening biodiversity in the Maltese Islands.

Through this project, not only will the honeybee population increase, but an artificial insemination programme for the indigenous queen bees will also be instituted, the first of its kind in Malta.

Bonett maintained that the government's commitment is to continue investing European funds in scientific research, agriculture, and the conservation of our country's ecosystem.

"The project we saw today is an example of this, where with European funds, we invested in scientific equipment for educational courses to educate professional and amateur beekeepers on how to preserve and enhance the local honeybee population," said Bonett.

It was explained that the Directorate for Rural Affairs within the Ministry for Gozo is also working to establish a laboratory at the Xewkija Experimental Farm.

The University of Malta, as a partner in this project, is providing assistance through its experience in various local and international projects. Additionally, Polish experts from the Research Institute of Horticulture in Poland are assisting the Ministry for Gozo in establishing a breeding program for the native queen bees.

Currently, at the Xewkija Experimental Farm, a week-long series of training courses and demonstrations for experienced beekeepers and Ministry workers are taking place.

With the help of these experts, an apiary will also be established at the Xewkija Experimental Farm which will lead to the Gozo Experimental Farm becoming a Center for Innovation, Rural Sciences, and Environmental Management.