Gozitan farmers asked former Prime Minister and MEP Dr Alfred Sant to voice their interests and to create more awareness at the appropriate fora in the European Parliament of their plight to be competitive in and penetrate the European market. The farmers appreciated Dr Sant’s understanding of their problems and his continued efforts to address them. Dr Sant told the farmers that he has been following the Gozo disadvantaged situation for over thirty years and he has always stood foursquare behind the farmers in their struggle with the serious and mostly permanent problems that they face in their unstinted efforts to survive.
The Maltese MEP met the Gozitan farmers at Ta’ Mena Estate in the Marsalforn Valley which produces wines, liqueurs and typical Gozitan foods, using traditional recipes
previously used by their forefathers.
The farmers mentioned in particular the lack of water resources for irrigation, the underutilization and dereliction of large areas of land, fallen rubble walls and soil erosion, lack of fertilizers when they could – but are not allowed to – properly treat, manage and use their animal waste for fertilizing their fields, mismatches between supply and demand and harsh, foreign, non-level-playing-field competition.
Dr. Sant asked the farmers to put forward their proposals in a formal report which he will follow up at different levels at the European Parliament.
Mr. Joe Spiteri, on behalf of Mena Estate, expressed the concerns of Gozitan farmers involved in the cultivation of vines, olives, citrus trees, strawberries, tomatoes and other vegetables, honey and other local products.
Mr. Spiteri noted that the Estate’s current challenge of having a demand from foreign customers for wine produced at his estate. The output from his current vine yards and olive groves does not meet the demand in question. Something urgent has to be done since otherwise they will lose the opportunities which they created in recent years.
Mr. Spiteri referred to the extreme underutilization of agricultural land in Gozo owned by the Government which can be utilized for vine, olive and other agricultural production. “This is translating into active farmers unable to acquire extra fields. Youths studying agriculture cannot be assigned fields of their own. Therefore they opt to seek jobs with the Agriculture Department or other office work and keep away from the actual farming jobs. The unutilised fields obviously give no crops and are rendering Gozo extremely dry especially during the summer months. Keeping Gozo green during the dry months will also attract more quality tourism to our island” emphasised Mr. Spiteri.
Ta’ Mena Estate produces its own wine, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and various typical liqueurs and foods from different fruits, vegetables and herbs, most of which are grown on their own estate.
Maltese Version – BDIEWA GĦAWDXIN JITOLBU L-GĦAJNUNA TA’ ALFRED SANT FL-EWROPA
Bdiewa Għawdxin talbu l-għajnuna tal-Ewroparlamentari Malti Alfred Sant biex jiddefendi l-interessi tagħhom fl-istituzzjonijiet u l-Parlament Ewropew bil-għan li jżidu l-kompetittivita` u jgħinhom jippenetraw is-swieq Ewropej. Il-bdiewa apprezzaw l-interess li jieħu Dr Sant fil-problemi tagħhom u l-isforzi kontinwi tiegħu biex jindirizzahom. Dr Sant iltaqa’ mal-bdiewa Għawdxin f’Ta’ Mena Estate fil-wied ta’ Marsalforn.
Dr Sant talab lill-bdiewa jagħmlu l-proposti tagħhom f’rapport formali biex isegwih f’livelli differenti tal-Parlament Ewropew. Dr Sant qal li ilu 30 sena jsegwi l-iżvantaġġi tal-bdiewa Għawdxin u dejjem iddefenda l-isforzi tagħhom biex jegħlbu l-isfidi quddiemhom.
Il-bdiewa semmew in-nuqqas ta’ riżorsi bħall-ilma għall-irrigazzjoni, għelieqi mhux maħduma, ħitan tas-sejjieħ imwaqqa’, il-kompetizzjoni inġusta minn swieq barranin, it-telf tal-ħamrija u n-nuqqas ta’ fertilizzant bħad-demel, li jixtiequ jużaw imma mhux jitħallew jużaw fl-għelieqi tagħhom bil-konsegwenza li ma jistgħux jiddisponu sewwa minnu u jittrattawh.
Is-sur Joe Spiteri, f’isem Mena Estate, esprima t-tħassib tal-bdiewa Għawdxin involuti fil-kultivazzjoni tad-dwieli, żebbuġ, siġar taċ-ċitru, tadam, frawli, għasel u prodotti oħra. Ta’ Mena Estate jipproduċi l-inbid tagħhom, żejt taż-żebbuġa, ikel u liquers minn frott differenti.
Is-sur Spiteri innota li l-produzzjoni mid-dwieli u siġar taż-żebbuġ mhux tlaħħaq mad-domanda u dis-sitwazzjoni teħtieġ tiġi indirizzata biex ma jintilfux l-opportunitajiet li nħolqu fl-aħħar snin.
Is-sur Spiteri rrefera għan-nuqqas ta’ użu ta’ art agrikola tal-gvern f’Għawdex li tista’ tintuża għall-produzzjoni tad-dwieli, żebbuġ u produzzjoni agrikola oħra. “Dan ifisser li l-bdiewa ma jistgħux jaħdmu aktar għelieqi. Żgħażagħ li qed jistudjaw l-agrikoltura ma jistgħux jingħataw għelieqi biex jaħdmuhom. Dawn qed jingħataw xogħol fl-uffiċini u jinżammu ’l bogħod mill-ħidma agrikola. Għelieqi mhux maħduma ma jagħtux frott. Jekk inżommu lil Għawdex aħdar fix-xhur tas-Sajf nattiraw aktar turisti fil-gżira tagħna”, qal is-sur Spiteri.
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