If it is to survive as a healthy and profitable economic activity, farming in Gozo needs creative action that within the respect of EU rules, seeks to make agricultural production flexible, while protecting it against unfair competition. Promoting authentic origin of produce from Gozo could be one way by which to make Gozitan farming competitive. However, there is a need to define a concrete list of products for which the strategy could be attempted, while avoiding the mistakes that were made in some crucial sectors, like that of tomato production. Full care should be taken to ensure that any available EU support or subsidy systems are deployed in the first place to be of direct help to the farmers themselves.

These were the conclusions highlighted by MEP Alfred Sant during a visit at the headquarters of the Gozo Farmers’ Cooperative at Xewkija, organized by the Gozo branch of his constituency office. Dr Sant reviewed the state of farming in Gozo with a delegation of the Cooperative led by Dr Joseph Grech, Manager of the Cooperative. He emphasized that there was a need for coordinated effort within the EU to ensure that one size fits all policies do not serve to further reinforce the limitations under which small scale agriculture like that of Gozo is forced to work under.

Prior to the meeting, Dr Sant toured the facilities and shops that are based in the Cooperative’s headqauarters at Xewkija, all related to the promotion of farm produce, from honey to fungi and vegetables. Dr Grech was accompanied by Mr Joe Debrincat, Member of the Gozo Farmers Cooperative and Mr Charles Sacco, Administrative Secretary of the Gozo Federation for Agriculture and Fisheries.

Maltese Version – IL-BDIEWA GĦAWDXIN JEĦTIEĠU PROTEZZJONI MINN KOMPETIZZJONI INĠUSTA

Il-bdiewa Għawdxin jeħtieġu protezzjoni minn kompetizzjoni inġusta biex ikun żgurat li l-bidwi Għawdxi jkompli jkabbar prodotti tar-raba’ meħtieġa mill-industrija tat-turiżmu u mill-ekonomija f’Għawdex. Dan qalu Alfred Sant fi żjara li għamel fil-Kooperattiva tal-Bdiewa fix-Xewkija, Għawdex. “Biex il-biedja Għawdxija tibqa’ b’saħħitha u trendi l-profitti, jeħtieġ li ssir azzjoni kreattiva biex fi ħdan ir-rispett tar-regoli tal-UE, il-produzzjoni agrikola tkun flessibbli u fl-istess ħin protetta minn kompetizzjoni inġusta. Il-promozzjoni ta’ prodotti awtentiċi Għawdxin tista’ tkun waħda mill-modi kif il-biedja Għawdxija ssir kompetittiva. Il-ħtieġa hi li jkun hemm lista konkreta ta’ prodotti li fuqhom tintuża din l-istrateġija, filwaqt li jkunu evitati l-iżbalji li saru f’setturi kruċjali bħal dak tal-produzzjoni tat-tadam. Irridu niżguraw li l-għajnuniet tal-Unjoni Ewropea jew is-sistema tas-sussidji lill-biedja jibbenefika minnhom direttament il-bidwi Għawdxi.” sostna Dr. Sant.

Alfred Sant analizza l-istat tal-biedja f’Għawdex flimkien ma’ delegazzjoni tal-Kooperattiva tal-Bdiewa Għawdxin mmexxija minn Dr Joseph Grech, Maniġer tal-Kooperattiva. Il-laqgħa ġiet organizzata mill-Uffiċċju ta’ Dr. Sant f’Għawdex. Dr Sant emfasizza li hemm il-bżonn ta’ appoġġ koordinat fi ħdan l-UE li jiżgura li l-politika ta’ ‘one-size-fits-all’ ma sservix biex tkompli ssaħħaħ il-limitazzjonijiet li tbati minnu l-biedja Għawdxija minħabba ċ-ċokon tagħha.

Qabel il-laqgħa, Dr Sant żar il-faċilitajiet u l-ħwienet li jinsabu fil-kwartieri ġenerali tal-Kooperattiva fix-Xewkija, kollha relatati mal-promozzjoni ta’ prodotti agrikoli, mill-għasel, għall-faqqiegħ, għall-ħxejjex. Dr Joseph Grech kien akkumpanjat mas-Sur Joe Debrincat, Membru tal-Kooperattiva tal-bdiewa Għawdxin, u mas-Sur Charles Sacco, Segretarju Amministrattiv tal-Federazzjoni Għawdxija tal-Agrikoltura u s-Sajd.

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