Eleven agricultural and environmental organisations are calling on the Prime Minister to ensure that suitable agricultural land valuation methods are integrated into legislation pertaining to agricultural leases.
Eleven agricultural and environmental organisations addressed a letter to Prime Minister Dr Robert Abela about the legal amendments to Act 199, including agricultural valuation methods. The amendment to Act 199 has been carried out in order to strike a balance between the interests of field owners, the farmers and the general public, while focusing on agricultural leases. As guardians of green and open spaces in Malta, farmers should be given all necessary safeguards to ensure that they can continue in their role without fear of eviction.
Sadly, this amendment also removed the only guidelines on which agricultural land valuation could have been established. This threatens farmers facing eviction, and does not reassure them in their crucial work. Most importantly, the organisations insist that since any amendments discussed in Parliament will greatly affect farmers facing eviction, there is an urgent need to include agricultural land valuation guidelines that safeguard farmers. This pricing should not be subject to market speculation but should use fair methods which ensure that rental leases are affordable for farmers. The organisations state that any upcoming subsidiary legislation pertaining to agricultural land valuation should be made in full discussion with the organisations concerned.
Additionally, the organisations feel that, while the White Paper on Agricultural Reform includes some encouraging principles, any new systems introduced by Act 199 pertaining to agricultural land valuation should be reflected in future legislation enacted as a result of the White Paper process.
Ultimately, the organisations insist that the main aim of this and other future legislative initiatives is the safeguarding of agriculture in Malta, so as to ensure a good quality of life for farmers and food security for Malta in a world undergoing geopolitical turmoil and market uncertainty.
The organisations remain hopeful that, as key stakeholders in the agricultural sector, they too can be more involved in consultative processes concerning future legislation procedures.
This letter was signed by:
Farmers’ Central Coop Society Ltd.
Friends of the Earth Malta
Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi
Għaqda Produtturi ta’ l-Għasel Malti
Malta Beekeepers’ Association
Malta Organic Agricultural Movement
Malta Youth in Agriculture Foundation
Merill Rural Network
Moviment Graffitti
The “Grow 10 Trees” Project
Vitimalta Producer Organization
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Ħdax-il għaqda agrikola u ambjentali qed jappellaw lill-Prim Ministru sabiex jassigura li se jiġu integrati fil-leġiżlazzjoni dwar il-kirjiet agrikoli metodi xierqa ta’ valutazzjoni tal-art agrikola.
Ħdax-il għaqda agrikola u ambjentali indirizzaw ittra lill-Prim Ministru Dr Robert Abela dwar l-emendi legali għall-Att 199, inkluż il-metodi għall-valutazzjoni agrikola. L-emenda għall-Att 199 saret sabiex jintlaħaq bilanċ bejn l-interessi tas-sidien tal-għelieqi, il-bdiewa u l-pubbliku ġenerali, u hija ffukata fuq kirjiet agrikoli. Bħala gwardjani tal-ispazji ħodor u miftuħa f’Malta, il-bdiewa jeħtieġ li jingħataw is-salvagwardji kollha meħtieġa sabiex ikunu jistgħu jkomplu b’dan l-irwol tagħhom mingħajr biża’ ta’ żgumbrament.
Sfortunatament, din l-emenda neħħiet ukoll l-uniċi linji gwida li fuqhom setgħet tiġi stabbilita valutazzjoni tal-art agrikola. Dan joħloq theddida lill-bdiewa li jiffaċċjaw żgumbrament u ma joffrix assigurazzjoni fix-xogħol kruċjali tagħhom. L-organizzazzjonijiet qegħdin jinsistu li minħabba li kwalunkwe emendi diskussi fil-Parlament se jaffettwaw ħafna lill-bdiewa li qed jaffaċċjaw żgumbrament, hemm bżonn urġenti li jiġu inklużi l-linji gwida tal-valutazzjoni l-art agrikola, li jissalvagwardjaw lill-bdiewa. Din il-valutazzjoni m’għandhiex tkun soġġetta għall-ispekulazzjoni tas-suq, iżda għandhom jinużaw metodi ġusti li jiżguraw li l-kirjiet ikunu affordabbli għall-bdiewa. L-organizzazzjonijiet qegħdin jiddikjaraw li kwalunkwe leġiżlazzjoni sussidjarja futura li għandha x’taqsam mal-valutazzjoni tal-art agrikola għandha ssir b’diskussjoni sħiħa mal-organizzazzjonijiet.
Barra minn hekk, l-organizzazzjonijiet iħossu li, filwaqt li l-White Paper dwar ir-Riforma Agrikola tinkludi prinċipji inkoraġġanti, kwalunkwe sistema ġdida introdotta mill-Att 199 li tappartjeni għall-valutazzjoni tal-art agrikola għandha tiġi riflessa fil-leġiżlazzjoni futura ppromulgata b’riżultat tal-proċess tal-White Paper. Fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, l-organizzazzjonijiet jinsistu li l-għan ewlieni ta’ din l-inizzjattiva u inizjattivi leġiżlattivi futuri hu li l-agrikoltura f’Malta tiġi protetta sabiex jiġu żgurati l-kwalità ta’ ħajja tajba għall-bdiewa u s-sigurtà tal-ikel f’Malta, f’dinja għaddejja minn taqlib ġeopolitiku u inċertezza fis-suq.
L-organizzazzjonijiet jibqgħu jittamaw li, bħala stakeholders ewlenin fis-settur agrikolu, huma wkoll jistgħu jkunu aktar involuti fi proċessi konsultattivi dwar proċeduri futuri ta’ leġiżlazzjoni.
L-ittra kienet iffirmata minn:
Assoċjazzjoni tan-Naħħala Malta
Fondazzjoni Żgħażagħ fl-Agrikoltura Malta – MaYA
Friends of the Earth Malta
Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi
Għaqda Produtturi ta’ l-Għasel Malti
Għaqda tal-Produtturi Vitimalta
Koperattiva Ċentrali tal-Bdiewa Ltd.
Moviment Graffitti
Moviment Malti ta’ Biedja Organika – MOAM
Netwerk Rurali Merill
The ‘Grow 10 Trees’ Project
