‘Organic Farming is still a priority’ – Agriculture Ministry
Organic farming is still a priority, despite the challenges related to increasing the area designated for organic farming in the Maltese islands, a spokesperson for the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights told The Malta Independent.
The Malta Independent sent questions to the ministry as to how the Government is aiding farmers in terms of organic farming, after a Eurostat statistic showed that Malta ranked in at last place for organic farming areas, with only 0.5% of utilised agricultural areas being used for organic farming. The isolated islands of Malta are far off from the 8.5% of the EU average.
This newspaper asked the ministry about comments made by PN MEP candidate Peter Agius, who noted that the government should promote organic production by buying local food, as well as waiving the licensing fees in order to import organic pesticides. This, in turn, would stimulate farmers to switch towards organic production, Agius said.
The Ministry said that it is offering its support to incentivise conversion to organic farming “by providing technical assistance through its Farm Advisory Services.” The Farm Advisory Services is aimed at “helping farmers to better understand and meet the EU rules for environment, public and animal health,” among other things.
The Ministry also remarked that it is “providing financial assistance” through two schemes: The first scheme is - Payment to Convert to Organic Farming Practices and Methods – which “provides support for farmers to convert part or all of their production to organic farming practices”. The second scheme is - Payment to Maintain Organic Farming Practices and Methods – which “provides support for farmers to maintain organic farming practices for a minimum of 5 years”.
The rates for the first is €1,208.55/ha for land which is in conversion, while for the second is €555.28/ha for land which is in organic status.
“The Ministry has always been at the forefront to aid farmers as much as possible and we plan to continue doing so without any hesitation,” the ministry spokesperson said.