Ministry plans to boost afforestation, countryside rehabilitation

The Ministry of Agriculture was surprised by comments in last month's EU monitoring report about lack of progress on the setting up of a payment agency because the commission had clearly based itself on developments up to May, ignoring substantial progress made since, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino told parliament. This progress, the minister said, had been explained in a letter sent to the head of the directorate general for agriculture by the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture.

Mr Pullicino was concluding the budget debate on the Ministry of Rural Affairs and the Environment.

He said that Malta was the fourth European country to amalgamate the environment ministry with that responsible for planning, to avoid the confrontation that existed between the two.

Investment in these two sectors was not a waste, While he would have been happier if more funds were voted, in the circumstance, the government was giving priority to these sectors.

Referring to engineered landfills and a call by Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando for "real experts" to consider the government-proposed sites in detail, Mr Pullicino said the report submitted by experts so far was an interim assessment and a detailed study would be carried out as part of an Environment Impact Assessment.

He said his ministry was serving as a catalyst between the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa), the agricultural and environmental sectors.

Various initiatives were being taken on all three fronts including increased focus on environmental education at all education levels. An agricultural centre would be set up at Fawwara between MEPA, the ministry and the University.

Mr Pullicino said an afforestation project would be carried out by a new section called PARKS. Priority would be given to restoration of the countryside, including, over the next two years, sites such as Kennedy Grove, the ex-Deutsche Welle site at Delimara, Ghadira, and the Ta' Qali Park. Some of the work would be carried out with NGOs such as Nature Trust and BirdLife.

Referring to Dr Joe Brincat's appeal for indigenous trees to be planted, Dr Pullicino said that a policy already existed. The afforestation project was not just a government project but it belonged to everybody and all should feel part of it. The government was voting Lm80,000 for the purpose, but companies, families and individuals should adopt trees.

The ministry would also be at the forefront of rehabilitation of the countryside starting from the Dwejra area between Mosta and Mgarr. A visitors' centre would be set up at Buskett and the area would be rehabilitated too .

Some Lm350,000 from EU pre-accession funds were being allocated towards the rehabilitation of rubble walls and the ministry was working towards forming a voluntary group for the maintenance of rubble walls.

The minister said subsidies to farmers would no longer be solely based on production and help would also be given for the protection of the countryside, an area in which farmers had a leading role.

A major project the ministry would embark upon was the upgrading of the Pitkali vegetable market at Ta' Qali. Facilities would include new stores, a new shed, a new grading station, an ice station and new packaging facilities. Two more grading stations would be built in Malta and Gozo at a cost of €2.5 million with the government contribution being only €250,000 . Producers' organisations could sell their produce directly.

A management consortium for the pitkali markets would also be set up.

Mr Pullicino said the Rural Development Plan had been drawn up and talks were taking place with the EU for the provision of funds. A code of practice on rural development had also been drafted. Farms had to be better managed to increase productivity and safeguard the environment.

More olive trees and vines were to be planted to produce a better crop, possibly for export. A product development unit was being set up for this purpose.

Work was also being carried out by the agricultural department to protect the soil. The first phase of the project MARSIS included the gathering of soil samples from all around Malta. The study should be concluded by March next year.

Mr Pullicino said state-of-the-art machinery had been installed at the abattoir and the de-boning and cutting plant for both pork and beef would be installed next year. A new generator, costing €4.5 million would also be installed.

There would also be a mobile incinerator to be used especially to eradicate disease on farms.

Reacting to a point raised by the opposition, Mr Pullicino said subsidies on poultry production of 7,000 tonnes had been worked out according to statistics on the level of local production. It was not true that there were any limits on production, but subsidies would only be on the first 7,000 tonnes.

The subsidies to be paid out for the restructuring of the pork and milk producing sectors would be taken out of pre-accession funds and lead to a more integral sector. The government had made available Lm100,000 for the refurbishment of the milk processing plant at Hamrun.

Progress had also been registered in the tomato processing sector. In the next few weeks experts from the Bari Agronomic Institute would be in Malta again to help boost efficiency. The sector had benefited from Lm400,000 in subsidies and promotional efforts.

In the viniculture sector 700 hectares of land had been turned into vineyards, and this figure would soon reach the government's target of 1,000 hectares.

Mr Pullicino said a lot had also been done in the fisheries sector. The government had signed 196 contracts for fleet refurbishment at a total cost of Lm2 million, to be taken from pre-accession funds. In 2004, Lm455,000 would be given in new funds, Lm400,000 of which would come from the EU. More funds could be made available if plans of action were submitted according to set parameters, including the storage of fish catches and a crate disinfection depot at a cost of Lm77,000.

Efforts were being made to enhance the administrative side of the Fisheries Department. Other work had been done in connection with the tuna catches off Malta. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna had confirmed Malta's current tuna catch quota, which was very good news for Maltese fishermen. The European Union's support had been vital for Malta's claim to be accepted.

Near the end of his speech, Mr Pullicino denied a claim by the opposition that no assistance was given to farmers last year for the purchase of machinery. It was also not true that the Agriculture Department owed money to the poultry producers.

Next year the government would give farmers and fishermen just over Lm11 million of which the EU would contribute almost Lm5 million. This was important investment in sectors which needed to make a leap of progress.

And farmers could also apply for aid in terms of the EU structural funds for investment in agriculture facilities, port facilities and new fishing craft, among other sectors.

The government would also give Lm7 million in support of the importation of cereals, sugar and other imports.

Earlier in the debate, Nationalist MP Michael Gonzi said the government's efforts to control pollution should take great strides forward as a result of the measures proposed in the budget, especially the "polluter pays" principle and the eco-contribution. The contribution should move people to go for non-polluting containers, while the former would rein in wanton pollution.

Dr Gonzi said the people should be increasingly encouraged to separate their waste, while those who collected refuse also needed to change their work practices.

Dr Gonzi said the tourism sector was crying out for a better environment, and everybody needed to do his part. Engineered landfills and waste disposal would have to go through a whole process of procedures to ensure the least environmental problems possible.

There was a world of difference between the engineered landfill system and what had been happening at Maghtab, which was suspected of having led to water contamination.

The smoke rising from Maghtab almost perennially would become a thing of the past with an engineered landfill, leading to much better environment, he concluded.

The estimates were approved after a division, the opposition voting against.