Production of milk gets EU funding boost

Malta's request for greater flexibility in its use of agricultural funds to improve milk production was granted yesterday during the Agriculture Ministers' meeting in Brussels.

Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino said Malta had been granted a derogation allowing it to use up to €2 million of the agricultural funds allocated to the island to reforming the milk production sector.

This represents around 40 per cent of the total amount allocated to agriculture.

Another development is that the agreement paves the way for money transferred from direct payments for the Rural Development Fund to be pumped into addressing problems posed by climate change, such as drought.