Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545999
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 29 JULY 2026 NEWS THE government will publish amendments to regulations gov- erning the categorisation of farm- ers and ranchers, with Prime Minister Robert Abela saying the changes will create a fairer system based on farmers' declared in- come rather than the size of their agricultural enterprise. Speaking during a meeting with members of the Advisory Coun- cil on Agriculture in Buskett on Tuesday, Abela said the amend- ments, already approved by Cab- inet, would simplify procedures and strengthen the legal frame- work introduced in 2024. The revised system, he said, would allow government support to be better targeted at farmers "whose livelihoods depend on ag- riculture", adding that classifica- tion "will no longer be based solely on the size of the agricultural en- terprise but on the actual and de- clared income of the farmer." Abela also announced that works on the Farmers' Market in Ta' Qali will begin in September, describing the project as an elec- toral pledge. The market will provide equipped facilities for farmers, ranchers, and fishermen while creating more opportunities for direct sales. Consumers, he said, will benefit from "a wider choice of fresh, substantial and affordable everyday products." Consequently, he noted sales of fruit and vegetables through Pit- kalija, have also increased from €21 million in 2021, to almost €28 million in 2025, with the whole- sale market set to be upgraded through a new digital system, modern containers, and improved facilities. Abela said the government re- mains focused on strengthening the agricultural sector by improv- ing farmers' incomes and protect- ing Malta's rural environment, pointing to reforms in agricultur- al land, the modernisation of the Public Slaughterhouse and chang- es at Pitkalija as key measures in- troduced in recent years. The prime minister also high- lighted investment in new water infrastructure, schemes to im- prove access to agricultural land, farm modernisation initiatives and financial support to help farmers cope with rising import costs. Agriculture Minister Anton Re- falo also announced that govern- ment will launch an awareness campaign in the coming weeks promoting olive cultivation and olive oil production. He said the initiative forms part of efforts to secure Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) sta- tus for the endemic Bidni olive va- riety and the oil produced from it. Before the meeting, Abela visit- ed the Vine Centre in Buskett, in- forming it will be open to visitors as government also explores op- portunities for wine tourism. The Wine Museum in Żebbuġ, Gozo, is also expected to be com- pleted during this legislature. Abela concluded the govern- ment's vision is to shift agriculture towards "a model that prioritises added value" through innovation and integrated rural development, while pledging to maintain "an effective and lively dialogue" with the farming community. JADE BEZZINA jbezzina@mediatoday.com.mt Government to revise farmer classification rules, Ta' Qali Farmers' Market works to start in September Sales of fruit and vegetables through Pitkalija have increased by 7 million from 2021, up until 2025, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on Tuesday (Photos: OPM/DOI) CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 During interviews, participants often struggled to explain the feeling. One hunter described it as "such a big thing, it's like one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit; you cannot define it". Portelli argues that this passion is fuelled by a sense of "lack". Be- cause migratory birds are scarce in Malta and their arrival is un- predictable, the desire to hunt becomes even more intense. As one hunter explained: "That is why hunting in Malta is delight- ful and makes people crazy: be- cause we are always deprived. We don't have what they have abroad." For many participants, hunting was described as something akin to an addiction or a "sickness" in the blood. One hunter said: "It is in your blood. You literally be- come agitated and anxious to go hunting." Hunting and masculine identity The study also highlights that bird hunting in Malta remains an almost exclusively male practice. For many interviewees, hunt- ing is not simply about catching birds but about expressing mas- culinity and belonging to a com- munity of men. Portelli argues that the bird often becomes a stand-in for a deeper search for "how to be a man in today's society". This performance of masculinity is reinforced through shared ritu- als, competition and displays of bravado, including the pursuit of rare species to impress fellow hunters. The male-dominated cul- ture also shaped Portelli's eight months of fieldwork. As a female researcher, she frequently en- countered suspicion. One hunt- er told her: "I won't invite you to join me for hunting, because if I tell my wife that you are joining me, she won't like it." When passion becomes greed A key theme in the study is the distinction between disci- plined passion and excessive desire. Portelli adopts the term "wolf-ism" to describe hunters who lose their internal sense of restraint. One interviewee ex- plained the idea: "The wolf never has enough. If the wolf kills one sheep, he will want to kill them all, even if he eats just one... And a lot of hunters are wolf-ised." According to the research, this "wolf-like" behaviour emerges when hunting becomes a "game of numbers". Portelli notes that many hunters are restrained mainly by external deterrents, such as the risk of fines. Without such limits, namra can escalate into greed. As one hunter put it: "If one time you caught 100 [birds], next time you won't be happy with 100. And if you do not have a deterrent, your namra becomes greed, unless someone holds your reins." Learning self-restraint The research also identifies hunters who have developed their own internal limits. Portel- li describes this transformation as moving "from a glutton to a gourmand"—someone who val- ues the overall hunting experi- ence rather than simply the size of the catch. These hunters regulate them- selves rather than relying on le- gal restrictions. One interviewee explained: "Then there is limit on the person, such that he reg- ulates himself. If I catch 50 doves and I know that with those 50 I am satisfied enough, why should I catch 100?" Portelli concludes that long- term conservation depends not only on regulation but also on hunters taking responsibility for their own desires. By recognis- ing the intensity of namra and its role in shaping masculine identity, she argues, it may be possible to channel that passion away from overexploitation and towards the protection of birds and the natural environment. Stella Portelli is a sociologist at Wageningen University special- izing in psychoanalytic politi- cal ecology. Her peer-reviewed Political Geography article uses Lacanian theory and ethnogra- phy to examine underlying Mal- tese bird hunting desires. Many participants describe hunting as something akin to an addiction or a 'sickness' in the blood