The 1st, 2nd and 3rd June Agri Committee outcomes
The Green Hand followed closely the Agri Committee Meetings which took place on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd June at the European Parliament in Brussels. These meetings were particularly relevant for Malta as they covered, among others, topics such as “EU school scheme”, sectorial interventions, protein crops, EU agri-food promotion policy and the European Commission’s Fertilisers Action Plan.
The “EU school scheme” should be continued and even expanded and include local authorities. Milk, yogurt and cheese are basic products and are part of Maltese food tradition and heritage. In addition to favoring short supply chain and constituting a stable outlet for farmers, such a scheme allows for education for children and connects them to local produce and agriculture in general. Maltese food should indeed be affordable and available for Maltese citizens.
Sectorial interventions must remain, especially in the framework of marketing or research, to support sectors such as fruit, wine, olive oil and table olives and hops as these sectors are not depending on aid but directly on the market. Geographic indications could also help Maltese farmers through labelling to find the right market and increase their incomes.
Both Europe and Malta have a protein supply problem. Including protein crops in crop rotations, notably for the livestock sector, should be supported in order to reduce the island’s dependency on both low-quality animal feed and mineral fertiliser imports. Agricultural reserves and food production are therefore crucial topics for Malta. It is also important for Maltese agricultural cooperatives to have a separate budget from the National envelopes.
Agri-food promotion policy is another key point for Malta as this policy has an excellent impact in terms of amount invested. However, there is a lack of geographical distribution and balance when it comes to accessing promotion policies between the Member States as well as barriers for small farmers and SMEs. Meat, dairy and wine should be included to the EU agri-food promotion policy and more support should be given to traditional and local producers that are not yet benefiting from quality schemes.
The European Commission’s Fertilisers Action Plan is primordial in view of the upcoming summer season in Malta. Fertilisers are a strategic asset for the EU and Malta and like every other global commodity, they are exposed to energy prices but also to trade and transport disruptions. In the short term, the European Commission wants to implement targeted exceptional support and a targeted CAP package with a new liquidity scheme and flexibility to pay advance payments, will support fertilisation efficiency and stronger advisory for farmers and will facilitate the use of digestates and a temporary state aid framework. Predictability for Maltese farmers has to be ensured to avoid food price inflation in the near future.
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