Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/919364
maltatoday SUNDAY 24 DECEMBER 2017 16 AGRICULTURE has been swal- lowed up by industrialisation, and farmers must be innovative and focused on growth in order to keep the sector alive. Karl Scerri, a 25-year-old live- stock farmer who breeds chicks, told MaltaToday that while the fu- ture of Maltese agriculture looks to be harsh, young farmers might still have a shot at remaining competi- tive in an increasingly industrialised market which has come to rely on imported produce. This perspective from Scerri, an administrator of the Malta Youth in Agriculture Foundation (MaYa) – an NGO and network of young farmers – comes not long after the release of a report by the environ- mental NGO Friends of the Earth (FOE), 'Agro Katina', which gave a voice to stakeholders concerned about the future of farming. Prior to joining the EU, the agri- cultural sector in Malta benefitted from a degree of protectionism, as imports were taxed and quotas on imported goods were enforced. Un- der EU law, such discrimination is not allowed, so after Malta's EU ac- cession in 2004, the sector became increasingly vulnerable. Imports increased and became cheaper, and farmers were left to deal with the competition. The Agro Katina report highlight- ed concerns raised by stakehold- ers who say that they worry that the Maltese market might become completely dominated by foreign imports. Scerri says foreign imports tend to fall into two categories: cheap products, and higher quality ones, the latter more expensive than lo- cal products, but which consumers would still buy. "This is a clear indication that these imported products are more enticing to consumers, meaning that there are ways in which local prod- ucts could improve, aside from price. It's not a good attitude to have to say that nothing can be done, because this is not true," Scerri says, explain- ing that there was more room for improvement on the presentation and packaging of Maltese produce. "The consumer is buying imported products because our marketing is not good enough." And although protectionist meas- ures would benefit Maltese farmers, Scerri warns that liberalising the market is more important. "Prior to EU accession, Maltese farmers were getting lazy, because our produce would get sold no mat- ter what." Competition, he says, is a posi- tive thing because it provides more choice to the consumer and pushes farmers to provide better quality produce. Scerri, who does not think that competition should be curbed, says, "There is no real way to stop competition from abroad. The population is growing, people are consuming more, and Malta is not self-sufficient so a large amount of imports is always to be expected." But competition is not the only ef- fect of importation. "What really hurts local farmers is when foreign pests are introduced," Scerri says, explaining how pres- sure is placed on farmers to reduce pesticide use, while new pests are being introduced through an in- crease in imported produce. "Nowadays, the amount of ship- ments coming in has nearly tripled compared to the previous genera- tion, so the need for stricter control is continuously increasing. If the authorities don't have the man- power to deal with this amount of imports, it creates a problem." Education and enforcement The FOE report revealed prob- lems arising from the lack of a re- lationship between Maltese farmers and their customers – an unfor- tunate effect of industrialisation, where misunderstanding and mis- trust, and uninformed consumers out of touch with the realities of farming and seasonality, also lead to farmers being out of tune with their customers. "The label on the produce does not say everything that the product has been through before coming to the consumer, and there is a lack of consumer education," Scerri says, lamenting the lack of resources available to consumers who do wish to inform themselves. Scerri suggests including a bar- code on produce, which consumers can scan with their mobile phones to learn more about the origin of their food. Meanwhile Scerri also stresses on the importance of trace- ability, transparency, and enforce- ment of the laws. "If enforcement efforts are too lax, it's impossible to solve other issues related to farming," he says, reveal- ing the serious problem of produce being mislabelled and the public be- ing misled. And the penalties for those caught mislabelling are not high enough, he says. "As a result, farmers are not dis- suaded from abusing the system. I don't think it's true that farmers have to break the rules to get by. You cannot sell more by produc- News Christmas specials • Young farmers A young farmer thinks naysayers about farming's 'harsh' future have to meet consumer expectations for high quality Coming home to roost No chickenfeed... farmers must learn to become competitive, says Karl Scerri TIA RELJIC PHOTO JAMES BIANCHI