From black to white

The leap in the quality of local wines is indisputable. This is partly due to the significant aid that was allocated over the past years to incentivise the planting of more vines.

The initiative yielded 1,000 hectares of vineyards. EU aid to the tune of €8.5 million was pocketed by farmers opting for vines and by quality wine producers.

Challenges still abound, not least the discrepancy between demand and supply of our local market. We consume 60 per cent local white wines, 30 per cent reds and 10 per cent rosè wines. Production, however, is significantly different showing 45 per cent of the grapes for white wine production, 35 per cent for red wines and 20 per cent for rosè.

We’re addressing this shortfall with a grafting programme introduced successfully by a French company.

What it means in effect is that vines that produce grapes for the production of red wine will now be producing grapes used for the white wine varieties.

I had the privilege of visiting a farmer out of the 40 who will benefit from this scheme, which aims to transform 200 tumoli of such vineyards in three years. We have already grafted 55 tumoli of land.

The red varieties being grafted include the Syrah, Tempranillo and Sangiovese, which will now produce varieties such as Chardonnay, Moscato Bianco and Sauvignon Blanc.

The technique, known as “top grafting”, is new for Malta but is yielding positive results worldwide – in Malta, we’ve hit a 90 per cent success rate. It is now being passed on to locals by the French experts who will take on supervisory operations as of next year.

The Producers’ Organisation is also contibuting financially although the bulk of the funding is shouldered by the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs.

The initiative promises a win-win situation for farmers, producers as well as consumers who will, ultimately, find the local wines they demand. – August 11

Sports facilities on the increase

Għargħur is a traditional village that today boasts a new synthetic football ground and ancillary facilities. A presentation of how this was achieved at the inauguration by the Prime Minister, demonstrates the extent to which volunteers contribute to so many aspects of our lives. It was they who, with some assistance from personnel at the Works Division, transformed a derelict football pitch into smart facilities. The club, which placed at the top of its division this year, is one of the benefeciaries of a €2 million agreement between the government and the Malta Football Association providing for the investment of 16 synthetic pitches.

New clubhouse facilities will also be inaugurated by the Prime Minister on Thursday at Exiles, Sliema. A four-month feat carried out with sheer determination by the club’s president and his team. This waterpolo club, which has thrived in the shadows of more famous competitors such as Sliema, Neptunes and St Julians, can now boast of a building finished to high specifications. Once again, an occasion to highlight the invaluable voluntary work carried out by members who contribute time, energy and enthusiasm for the benefit of the community and the local sports scene.

The local participation rate in sports disciplines compares well to the average in European Union countries. A Eurobarometer survey shows that 40 per cent of the European citizens practise sports at least once a week with the Maltese average standing at 48 per cent. More than 10,000 children participate in the eight sports programmes administered by the Malta Sports Council.

Upgraded sports facilities are setting new benchmarks for local sports. The goverment has invested heavily in sports over the past years, allocating this year no less than €5.5 million to local sports associations through 25 different schemes. This has been complemented by fiscal incentives for parents who send their children to nurseries or sports academies. We may be small but that does not preclude us from setting high standards, not least for a healthier lifestyle through sports. – August 9

Open dialogue

Last Wednesday, I was invited again to address the general council of the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin. I had last addressed this council some two years ago. I gave an overview of my ministry’s accomplishments, the investments takings place and the work planned, particularly with regard to embellishment projects, restoration, waste management and infrastructure for both renewable and conventional energy sources. I truly believe that the work we are carrying out is remarkable. I also explained the economic and social relevance of such investment.

My presentation was followed by a healthy and open discussion on the subject. One question focused on green jobs. A delegate emphasised the opportunities being provided for people with different capabilities and expertise in the field of clean energy and waste management. We also discussed government assistance to families and industry for investment in clean energy. Such investments are generating more jobs in this sector. Over the past few years, our country has seen an increase in the number of companies that place energy-efficient products on the market. Another question focused on the choices we must make so as to increase separated waste, where we discussed incentives – or disincentives – that may be considered.

This meeting left me all the more convinced of the importance of dialogue with social partners, such as the UĦM, not only within formal fora such as the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, but within wider frameworks that include members and delegates. It is in our interest to do so to receive feedback on the ideas we are cultivating.

I also took the opportunity to frame the work of my ministry and the government within the context of economic developments in Malta, Europe and the rest of the world. When one considers the turmoil taking place around us, our country’s performance is positive and is generating substantial wealth, yet, we must remain vigilant and cautious in this sensitive time to continue safeguarding jobs and creating new opportunities. – August 5

Great sculptors

Last week, I visited two important exhibitions related to sculpture. The first, set up and hosted by the Ministry for Gozo, was about the eminent sculptor Ċensu Apap, a name associated with many monuments in our country, including the Triton Fountain. These are just some of the gifts Mr Apap gave our country.

Mr Apap was born in Valletta in 1909. I was struck by a work of art he created when he was just 14 years old: a sculpture of his brother and sister in which he captured their expressions perfectly. Rumour has it that, as a schoolboy, he always carried a piece of clay in his hand, which he would mould into one thing or another under his desk.

He went on to study sculpture at the British Academy of Art in Rome under the direction of Antonio Sciortino. Soon after he returned, he won – at the age of 22 – a public competition to erect a monument of Fra Diegu.

Many scholars maintain that Mr Apap had a photographic memory, allowing him to note expressions quickly.

He was also commissioned by Lord Mountbatten to create a number of busts of members of the royal family. This generated much resentment among British sculptors who felt humiliated that the Royal Family commissioned a Maltese artist rather than a British one.

I visited another exhibition, this time by Paul Haber, held at Bank of Valletta in Sta Venera. This exhibition collected under one roof a number of works by this versatile artist. Mr Haber was born in Xewkija in 1962 and studied sculpture in three colleges in Italy and the United Kingdom. His versatility is extraordinary: modern art in clay, in diverse forms, colours and textures. He is obviously inspired by nature.

While touring the exhibition with him, Mr Haber spoke to me about his wish to see art being made more accessible. Rather than waiting for members of the public to visit art, he maintains that art should be brought into public spaces. – August 3

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The author is Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs.