8th and 9th April Agri Committee

The Green Hand will once again follow with attention the upcoming Agri Committee Meetings that will take place on Wednesday and Thursday 8th and 9th April at the European Parliament in Brussels. Among the discussion topics that are relevant for Malta are: farmers’ position in the supply chain, EU agri-food promotion policy, the 2028-2034 period Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget, and the potential implications of the critical situation in the Middle East for the European agricultural sector.

Maltese farmers’ position in the supply chain is a key question as farmers have to compete with local supermarkets and imported products from other Member States and third countries. In this regard, short chain and local products have to be put forward not only for their quality and environmental reasons but above all, to enable the survival of Maltese farmers and traditions.

EU agri-food promotion is also another important element for Malta as farmers need desperately assistance to promote their products both locally and at the international level to increase their product values and as a result their own margins.

The 2028-2034 period CAP budget will determine the capacity of the Maltese government to help support Maltese farmers’ income in the short-middle term. It is therefore primordial for Malta to be present at the table of the negotiations to represent its interests.

Last but not least, the current critical situation in the Middle East risks affecting severely the Maltese agriculture sector in the next months and also potentially in the foreseeable future as fertilizer, energy and transport costs will impact even more small-scale farms. It will be thus interesting to see what solutions the European Commission will propose to support our farmers and EU food security in the coming weeks.

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