Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi president Malcom Borg said that one problem faced by farmers which is “worsening” every year is the situation of access to water for farming.
Borg spoke to The Malta Independent highlighting the problem, where he said that groundwater is becoming more saline, and therefore less suitable for irrigation.
“The distribution of new water to farmers by the Water Services Corporation is fraught with problems,” Borg said.
He mentioned some, being that some farmers have been provided with dispensers for the new water yet have received no water flow. There are also those who receive water, but not as much as they need, and those with dispensers which are far from their fields, among others, Borg said.
“With hotter summers and less frequent rain, a long-term plan is needed to ensure that all farmers have enough good water to irrigate, so they can continue to grow food,” Borg said.
There are more than 7,700 boreholes and other similar groundwater extraction systems for agricultural, domestic and commercial purposes in Malta and Gozo.
In November last year, the government launched a public consultation on new regulations on groundwater abstraction to introduce environmental measures to protect this natural resource.
Borg was also asked about the farmers’ protests, where two were held in the span of weeks earlier in the year. In February, Maltese farmers gathered in Ta’ Qali and drove in tractors and heavy vehicles to Floriana in protest against policies that are threatening their livelihood.
They were protesting against EU trade deals that remove or reduce barriers for non-EU agricultural products.
Prime Minister Robert Abela had met the farmers during the first protest, where he listened to their complaints and offered suggestions for the way forward.
Borg was asked if there were any discussions with government following the protests, related to the issues which initiated the same protest.
“There were discussions with government on the issues of the protests at the time of the protests. Now we talk to government about other different issues, but we continue to follow developments related to the issues we protested about,” Borg said.
He said that there were “interesting developments” since then, including the creation of a unit to investigate food fraud, and an increase in inspectors in the Malta Food Agency to investigate issues in the food supply chain.
Borg mentioned the fertilizer scheme announced shortly before the past election. The two schemes, which together amount to €18 million, had already been implemented in 2023, and were re-announced last May.
Almost €14 million was allocated by means of co-funding from national funds and EU funds for various agricultural schemes as well as almost €4 million in national funds for assistance on fertiliser.
Borg also said that the EU-funded scheme that rewarded those who left fields empty, which farmers were very opposed to, will not be reissued. “These were all things we asked for during the protests,” he said.
“There are other matters that depend heavily on European discussions and decisions, such as the safeguard of European (and Maltese) producers from imports coming from third countries that grow their products with lower standards than those used in the EU,” Borg said.
He continued that the Green Deal and how it will affect the agricultural sector is also under a big spotlight, and the NGO will now look at how the new Commission and European Parliament leaderships will handle this matter, and how they will move it forward.