Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1538544
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 AUGUST 2025 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The rules also raised question marks among non-farmers who own or rent agricultural land and use it for recreational purposes— holding picnics or barbecues. But it is one particular regulation that raised the spectre of govern- ment taking possession of private land if this is not used for agri- cultural purposes, which ruffled feathers. Camilleri immediately shuts down the speculation that govern- ment will usurp private land. He insists the government will only "temporarily occupy" agricultural land that remains unclaimed and unregistered. "These rules have introduced a register of agricultural land," he explains, adding that around 80% of farmland is already registered with the authorities as part of ob- ligations under various existing laws. The new rules, he says, cre- ate a unified register and the au- thorities have given unregistered landowners or tenants six months to comply. "If a field remains unregistered and no one comes forward af- ter 12 months, the Agricultural Resources Agency will have the power to register it in its name, clean it up, and lease it out on a yearly basis for agricultural use," Camilleri explains. However, he emphasises, if someone does show up after some years with proof that the land belongs to them "it can be claimed back". "The existing lease will be allowed to run its course until the next Sep- tember to give the farmer chance to collect their yield and the land will be registered to its owner with the agency pass- ing on any income it had received from the lease to the owner," Camilleri says. He insists that in these "rare in- stances" government will never assume ownership of the land but only occupy it temporarily so that the agricultural potential is not left to degrade over time. "It is a question of giving value to agricultural land and preserv- ing its use for future generations," Camilleri says. He returns to the issue of alter- native uses for agricultural land that is not used to produce food. "The rules do not stop alterna- tive uses for fields, so, if someone is renting a field with intention of holding family picnics in it, or as a bird hunting ground, they can still do so as long as the activity does not degrade the agricultural po- tential of the land," Camilleri says. But there is a minimum obliga- tion that will be imposed. "The land will have to be ploughed at least once a year and taken care of so that the agricultural potential is retained." Owners of agriculture land that is registered and who fail to satisfy the basic requirements for main- taining it will incur fines, Camill- eri says. He explains that the new rules stem from the commitment made by the Agriculture Ministry in 2022 as part of the reform to pro- tect agricultural land. "We have a duty to ensure ag- ricultural land remains usable for the future. It is important for Malta's food security. Admit- tedly, Malta was never self-suf- ficient in food production let alone today but it is important to ensure domestic food produc- tion continues to exist because it can give us resilience in times of emergency like we experienced during the COVID pandemic," Camilleri says. Farmland reform seeks to protect Malta's food production potential The aim of the new rules is to protect all agricultural land for posterity, even if it is not being farmed to produce food, says Agriculture Ministry Permanent Secretary Sharlo Camilleri (inset)