Farmers to invest €27m

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

Resources and Rural Affairs 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 pointed out that more than half of the investors were under 40 years old and he encouraged young people to prepare themselves for modern agricultural practice by following courses like that offered at the University's Institute of Agriculture.

The EU aid 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 would start receiving applications for €4 million in assistance under the EU's Rural Development Programme.

Measure 121 encourages innovation in production methods, development and diversification of local products and the use of new technologies.

For the first call of applications, a budget of €8 million had been allocated. Out of this, 75 per cent is financed by the EU and the remaining 25 per cent by the government.

The maximum investment support under this measure is limited to 50 per cent of the total eligible costs. The minimum eligible threshold is of €5,000 and the maximum of €150,000. Extra costs, including VAT, must be borne solely by the applicant.

All full-time and part-time farmers registered with the Employment and Training Corporation were eligible to apply.