Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1214775
K ARL AZZOPARDI ONE year on from the freak weath- er storm that hit the Maltese islands, farmers are slowly starting to receive compensation for the damages. In February 2019, Malta was hit by gale force winds reaching speeds of 101 km/h, coupled with heavy periods of rain and hail, leaving behind infrastruc- tural and crop destruction for farmers to deal with. Tens of thousands in dam- ages awaited farmers once the storm had passed. It was however only in June that the finance ministry said that it would be allocating €3.5 million to help cover the costs. Malcom Borg, head of the Ghaqda Bdiewa Attivi, said that according to information he received, the compensa- tion given to farmers will be divided in two tranches. Farmers will be first com- pensated for infrastructural damage, with some already receiving papers to apply for their due compensation. The second phase of compensation is expected to cover the crop damage suffered by the farmers, with Borg stat- ing that he still has no idea on how the compensation will be worked out. Despite requesting financial assis- tance, Borg said that farmers had no time to dwell over their losses, stating that as from the next day they returned back to their fields to start fixing the damage caused. "Farmers are resilient by nature, and if they are to make a living, they cannot wait too long to get back to work," he said. Borg said that while farmers have not yet been fully compensated for the damage, they were thankful to the gov- ernment for stepping in. "This is the first time the government has helped farmers who have been affected by nat- ural disasters," Borg said. Looking ahead, the farmers' NGO head said that last year's environmen- tal damage will not be the last to impact local farmers, with similar events ex- pected to increase in frequency due to climate changed. He insisted that an insurance policy with a less expensive premium should be made available for farmers. "Farmers already have a very low profit margin – with a very expensive premium that policy would be useless," he said. The insurance policy he said, would cover natural disasters like that of last year, as well as periods of draught. Asked why such a policy has not yet been put into place, Borg said that in- surance companies complain of a lack of data made available to them. "Insur- ance companies tell us that implement- ing such policies is too high-risk for them, as the lack of statistics available makes it impossible to set a premium," Borg said. The storm that hit Malta on the 24 February 2019, left widespread destruc- tion across Malta, with not only farmers being the ones to suffer damages. Flooded homes in Sliema and Vitto- riosa had to be evacuated by Civil Pro- tection, with the home affairs ministry providing alternative accommodation for those affected. A balcony at Por- tomaso crashed to the ground, while a number of trees in Balluta square were destroyed by the wind. The storm also made way for one of Malta's most bizarre scenes, as people braved the weather, trying their luck at the prospect of a free meal in Xemxija: a nearby sea-bream fish farm broke open, washing shore hundreds of fish, as peo- ple scurried across the Xemxija prome- nade, with some even picking them up from the middle of the street. 24 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 19 FEBRUARY 2020 NEWS A year after 2019 hurricane, farmers see cash for damages