During the implementation of the 2014-2022 Rural Development Programme (RDP), Malta worked proactively to ensure that no European funds were lost and that all eligible farmers benefited from the available support, the government said.
"Where necessary, funds were reallocated towards measures of greater interest, always in the best interest of farmers and the sector. As a result, thanks to continuous coordination between the two ministries, all funds available to farmers were successfully utilised," government said.
The Ministry for European Funds and the Implementation of the Electoral Programme, together with the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, reaffirmed the Government's ongoing commitment to place Maltese and Gozitan farmers at the centre of agricultural policy and investment, through the effective and responsible use of European funds.
Between January 2023 and December 2025, Malta implemented both the RDP and the 2023-2027 Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (CAP SP), ensuring continuous support for local farmers and livestock breeders.
By the end of 2025, the RDP had supported 258 projects led directly by farmers under Measure 4, with payments amounting to €24.3 million. In addition, more than 500 farmer-led projects have already been financed under the CAP SP, with new calls launched and others scheduled in the coming weeks, the government said.
The Government also invested €6.3 million in young farmers under the RDP, with equivalent funding under the CAP SP. For the first time, the maximum allocation for young farmers increased from €70,000 to €100,000 per farmer, in line with the maximum limits permitted by European regulations.
In the field of training and advisory services, more than €800,000 were allocated, enabling around two thousand free training and advisory sessions for farmers. These figures are expected to increase significantly during the 2023-2027 CAP SP period, government said.
Furthermore, 19 local producers working on Maltese agricultural products received €5.86 million in support, while farmers benefited from €27.6 million in payments based on the size of fields, including support for difficult geoclimatic conditions and environmental measures.
Since 2016, 100% of eligible applications for farm investments and young farmer schemes have been approved and funded, and the entire budget available for farmers has been fully utilised, it said. "Consequently, there were no cases where eligible projects were not financed due to a lack of funds."
The same measures that concluded the RDP period are now receiving new allocations up to 2029, with calls that have already generated investment exceeding €15 million.
The Ministry for European Funds and the Implementation of the Electoral Programme also notes that decisions taken to orient investment towards afforestation and green spaces were based on a clear public call for greater access to nature, as reflected in Eurobarometer surveys and national public consultations. This was seemingly in reaction to PN MEP Peter Agius publishing correspondence with the European Commission that revealed that the Maltese government shifted €3.8 million in European Union funds away from farmers and towards measures relating to forest area development and improving the viability of forests.
The government also said: "From its inception, the RDP funding programme included specific allocations aimed at improving and increasing accessibility to green spaces, in order to address in a balanced manner both the needs of the agricultural sector and environmental and social aspects, in response to national realities and priorities. This did not have any negative impact on farmers, since all eligible applications for agricultural funding were supported and fully financed."