Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1526074
5 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 30 AUGUST 2024 OPINION THE food system remains at the core of human activity, even though the emer- gence of more sophisticated economic ac- tivities, tends to make us ignore this basic fact. And yet, as evidenced by the recent war in Ukraine, the supply and cost of food cannot be taken for granted. Food security is again a major concern for most govern- ments, especially small states dependent on the import of food. The emerging awareness about the im- portance of agriculture for our societies goes beyond food security. The general public is increasingly realising that sustain- able agriculture (and fisheries) has a much broader social and environmental impact than just its contribution to the economy. Still, agriculture has to keep pace and compete with other more attractive eco- nomic sectors for human and other re- sources, if it is to continue providing food at an affordable price. It is for this reason that the Ministry for Agriculture, Fish- eries and Animal Rights is committed to promote and facilitate the modernisation of the agricultural sector through new technologies, entrepreneurship (especially among younger farmers) and generally im- proved marketing techniques. The Gozitan agricultural community is not excluded from these challenges. Ag- riculture is synonymous with all that is Gozitan. The challenges faced by Gozitan farmers today are no longer just coping with the sun, wind and rain; limited re- sources such as land and water; uncertain crop prices but also the proper use of fer- tilisers, biodiversity, digitalisation and in- novation. To meet the new challenges most of our farmers require a changed mind-set; but this is also true of other stakeholders in the agricultural sector. This includes all of us at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, related institutions as well as Maltese consumers. In this scenar- io, it is the responsibility of the Ministry to give direction, facilitate and actively sup- port this change process. As a member of the EU, Malta's vision for the sector dovetails to the Common Agriculture Policy. Malta's National Strategic Plan 2023-2027 outlines the direction, sets targets and provides the framework for the measures that are to be implemented. Over the last few years, the Ministry has strived to lay new foundations-legal, insti- tutional and cultural- that are critical to drive the sector's modernisation process. The much needed Agricultural Act has been enacted. It brings together all the previously scattered legislation relating to this sector. This Act provides a holistic framework that will improve the efficien- cy and effectiveness of policy-making. In particular, it enables the Minister to intro- duce changes to the Act by the simple pub- lication of a legal notice rather than having to present a bill in Parliament. Another important milestone is the re- form that we are introducing in the pres- ervation and use of agricultural land. The local courts had ruled that the rules gov- erning the lease of agricultural land, under Chapter 199 of the Laws of Malta, were detrimental to landowners. Amendments were enacted through the Agricultural Leases (Reletting) Act to address these anomalies. Also, the Riżorsi Agrikoli Malta Agency was set up to ensure that Maltese and Gozitan farmers continue to have ac- cess to agricultural land on reasonable and affordable terms. Over its 61 years in existence the EU's Common Agricultural Policy has evolved from a mechanism rewarding intensive agriculture to a tool encouraging a more holistic approach to rural development. It offers a wide array of financial and techni- cal assistance to farmers and food produc- ers to support the modernisation process. Regretfully, obtaining this assistance is at times complicated putting it beyond the reach of individual farmers or small agri- cultural companies. Our Ministry has been lobbying hard within the EU to address this issue. As a result, AgriConnect was set up to help farmers and related operators access fi- nancial and technical assistance under the CAP. AgriConnect has recently opened an office in Gozo, with the aim of providing expertise especially in the collection and record-keeping of data without which it is impossible to qualify for CAP assistance. In the meantime. a Simplified Scheme was launched, for Productive Investments in Farms to make it easier for small farm- ers to invest in the modernisation of their farms. Through this scheme, farmers can obtain a 50% refund on eligible expenses up to €15,000. Gozo could become the food basket of Malta, significantly contributing to the food security of our country. Agriculture is an intrinsic part of Gozo's heritage and culture. Promoting and supporting its modernisation will help protect its identity through land stewardship and recreational landscape while boosting its attractiveness as a tourist destination. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights is committed to give its fair share to the fulfilment of this vision for the benefit of the Gozitan agricultural community and the general public. Agriculture is synonymous with all that is Gozitan Anton Refalo is Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Animal Rights Anton Refalo Agriculture is synonymous with all that is Gozitan. The challenges faced by Gozitan farmers today are no longer just coping with the sun, wind and rain; limited resources such as land and water; uncertain crop prices but also the proper use of fertilisers, biodiversity, digitalisation and innovation.