Farmers to invest €27m

A group of 180 farmers have committed themselves to a total investment of €27 million in agriculture infrastructural projects, and will be given EU assistance for half the amount.

Resources Minister George Pullicino, who met the farmers, congratulated them for the confidence they were showing in the agriculture sector and said he hoped more would follow their example.

He observed that more than half of the investors were aged under 40, and he encouraged young people to prepare themselves for modern agricultural practice by following courses such as that by the University's Institute of Agriculture.

The EU assistance is to be given under Measure 121, a Maltese-EU programme of assistance for the modernisation of facilities, investment in the environment, and measures to reduce nitrates.

Mr Pullicino said that in the coming days, the authorities will start receiving applications for €4 million in assistance under the EU's Rural Development Programme.