The Ciappara family, whose produce is sold under the Hi-Grade Chick label, has received close to €400,000 from rural development funds through applications filed by different family members.
Under the Rural Development Programme 2007 - 2013, Catherine Ciappara received €36,827 in 2009 and another €150,000 under the second call issued in 2011, applying under C & K Poultry Ltd.
She applied under Measure 123, providing funds for “adding value to agricultural products”.
From the same funding programme, her son Emmanuel Ciappara received €57,568 in 2009 to cover 50 per cent of additional investment in the farm. Under the second call, in 2011, he was allocated a further €150,000 under Measure 121 for the “modernisation of agricultural holdings”.
The maximum funding allowed under the programme is €150,000. The proportion of funding is 75 per cent by the European Union and 25 per cent by the government.
Farms that employ more than 50 people should not receive more than 40 per cent funding.
The poultry industry was hard hit when Malta joined the EU because we were not prepared
Inaugurating the total investment at the Qrendi farm yesterday, Roderick Galdes, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, defined it as a “state-of-the art” farm.
As Mr Ciappara gave Mr Galdes a tour of the farm he told him: “All this is thanks to you. The others (the previous PN administration) did not have faith in me.”
Yet, former resources minister George Pullicino told Times of Malta the Ciappara family had benefited from EU funds under the previous administration.
“I attended at least two or three events at the farm following investments made as a result of EU funds,” Mr Pullicino said, adding the family was grateful at the time.
The farm can now handle 11,000 chicks on one floor and the same amount on the floor above and has a slaughterhouse that can kill 1,200 chickens per hour. This occurs every six weeks, when the process of slaughtering starts at 8pm and the products are delivered to customers by 7am the next day.
As he unveiled a plaque marking the investment, Mr Galdes said the poultry industry was hard hit when Malta joined the EU because “we were not prepared”. As a result, there was a substantial decrease in local chicken products.
He praised the Ciappara family for “their sacrifice” saying they provided work to a number of people and their input strengthened the country’s quality brand.
He pointed out that farmers faced problems resulting from economies of scale and, therefore, the government needed to support the industry.
Before Malta joined the EU, agricultural activity survived as a result of a series of protective measures aimed at encouraging production by ensuring a regular income for local farmers and animal breeders through price guarantees and quota restrictions on imports.
There were few incentives for active full-time farmers to invest in the constant upgrading of plant and produce and through a consumer-orientated system of product selection and distribution.
With EU accession and the dismantling of protective levies, the livestock sector experienced a surge in imports. At the same time, the sector had to restructure to adhere to EU legislation concerning animal welfare, food safety, veterinary standards and waste management.
Challenges remain, according to a European Commission audit of the sector last year, which found that “although some significant improvements have been made since 2009, this Food and Veterinary Office audit found that the Maltese authorities have failed to deliver on some of the guarantees and commitments” made.