Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1250967
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 MAY 2020 NEWS 22 nd May 2020 European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 2014-2020 ANNOUNCEMENT (Measure 4.1) Measure 4.1: 'Support for investments in agricultural holdings' The Director General of the Funds and Programmes Division, within the Parliamentary Secretariat for European Funds announces the re-launch of Measure 4.1 under the Rural Development Programme. Applications will open on the 22 nd of May 2020 and close on Friday 24 th July 2020, noon. Measure 4.1 'Support for investments in agricultural holdings' has the aim to support investment in cost-effective and environmentally efficient systems and equipment in relation to soil management, water capture and use, renewable energy, waste management, and improved efficiency of fertiliser and pesticide use and control. Support for investments in holdings is also intended to target improved productivity on holdings. Farmers, or Groups of Farmers whether natural or legal persons are eligible for support under this measure. Beneficiaries will receive 50% of the total eligible project costs up to a maximum of €150,000. Prospective applicants are to note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only soft copies sent via email to rdd.mfea@gov.mt will be accepted . Prospective applicants are strongly advised to avoid submitting applications on the last days. Applicants are to note that any documentation previously listed as obligatory for this measure will now be allowed to be submitted even after the closing date. This will be the last M4.1 call under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 unless otherwise notified by the Managing Authority. Further details on the application process will be published in due course on the websites of the Managing Authority www.eufunds.gov.mt and www.eufundsmalta.gov.mt. For more information, the Managing Authority can be contacted by email at rdd.mfea@gov.mt or Tel. 2200 1117 / 1162. 22 nd May 2020 European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 2014-2020 ANNOUNCEMENT (Measure 4.1) Measure 4.1: 'Support for investments in agricultural holdings' The Director General of the Funds and Programmes Division, within the Parliamentary Secretariat for European Funds announces the re-launch of Measure 4.1 under the Rural Development Programme. Applications will open on the 22 nd of May 2020 and close on Friday 24 th July 2020, noon. Measure 4.1 'Support for investments in agricultural holdings' has the aim to support investment in cost-effective and environmentally efficient systems and equipment in relation to soil management, water capture and use, renewable energy, waste management, and improved efficiency of fertiliser and pesticide use and control. Support for investments in holdings is also intended to target improved productivity on holdings. Farmers, or Groups of Farmers whether natural or legal persons are eligible for support under this measure. Beneficiaries will receive 50% of the total eligible project costs up to a maximum of €150,000. Prospective applicants are to note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only soft copies sent via email to rdd.mfea@gov.mt will be accepted . Prospective applicants are strongly advised to avoid submitting applications on the last days. Applicants are to note that any documentation previously listed as obligatory for this measure will now be allowed to be submitted even after the closing date. This will be the last M4.1 call under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 unless otherwise notified by the Managing Authority. Further details on the application process will be published in due course on the websites of the Managing Authority www.eufunds.gov.mt and www.eufundsmalta.gov.mt. For more information, the Managing Authority can be contacted by email at rdd.mfea@gov.mt or Tel. 2200 1117 / 1162. JAMES DEBONO A consumer trend favouring lo- cal produce such as the much- loved Maltese cheeselet and ricotta could be leading to an increase in sheep farms, says farming activist Jeanette Borg. In 2020 the Planning Author- ity received 18 applications for the development sheep farms, 13 of which request a permit to build entirely new farms. The applications span the length of Malta and Gozo. Borg, who is a member of the Malta Youth in Agriculture Foundation (MAYA), thinks the sheep farm trend is responding to consumer habits that prize the Maltese gbejna, but said a proper planning framework is needed to ensure there is no negative environmental im- pact. "There should be a stand- ard layout for such farms so to avoid improvisations," she said. Malta's rural development plan sees cooperation between livestock farmers and cheese producers as a valuable busi- ness opportunity for younger members of farm families, to create a much-needed inter- generational transfer of farms. Sources in the agriculture de- partment also told MaltaToday that sheep farms are becoming more economically viable than intensive livestock-farming like Milking it: sheep-rearing could allow young farmers take on their parents' farms Sheep farming and its quality produce are making a comeback but even farming activists are concerned at the lack of regulation for a sector that could have an impact on the countryside We're baaaaah-ck... pig rearing, which contribute to greater quantities of animal waste. But planning rules for the sector are still inadequate, of- ten resulting in eyesores in the countryside due to the land ar- ea required. The reutilisation of existing buildings is not always possible due to safety require- ments. One of the applications this year is a 250sq.m goat farm at ta' Ghajn Qattus in Mgarr, proposed by the developer Mark Gaffarena. In his project development statement, Gaf- farena notes that Mgarr has experienced a keen interest to cultivate an "agricultural cul- ture" which is leading to the "rejuvenation" of the village. "The proposal for the con- struction of a goat farm seeks to accommodate the growing agricultural requirements of the settlement. In addition, the design of the farm attempts to include traditional traits from the nearby rural fabric." But the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) is objecting to one of the de- velopments at Ramla l-Ham- ra in Xaghra, where the pro- posed farm will be adjacent to the Wied ta' L-Għajjun val- ley, which waters the Wied Tal-Furnar valley system. The ERA said a new farm and ancil- lary interventions would result in the introduction of addition- al built-up structures in the ru- ral area. The ERA wants these new farms to first re-use existing structures or disused farms to decrease environmental and visual impacts. The Superin- tendence for Cultural Heritage has also objected to the Xaghra farm, noting the proposal will cause an "undeniable and irre- versible intensification of de- velopment within a landscape that is primarily rural". Some of the sheep farms ap- proved in the past have had a negative impact on the land- scape. One controversial approval was a livestock building in the middle of the San Lawrenz val- ley. Both the ERA and the PA case officer had expressed con- cern that the sheep farm would be utilised for recreational pur- poses. The PA's planning com- mission still approved the farm. Another controversial case was a sizeable two-storey sheep farm in Bidnija valley, which was even objected to by the MAYA foundation. The NGO wants a complete overhaul of the PA's rural policy approved in 2014, to ensure that only sus- tainable farming development is allowed rural areas. Proposals include facilitating the conver- sion of abundant derelict build- ings, and guidelines for a more a more discrete appearance of new buildings complete with proper landscape mitigation measures.