After the agricultural fair has ended

The onslaught on agricultural land is continuous. It is unfortunately many a time abated by land use planning operatives. It would be an understatement to emphasise that they should know better.

Among the countless examples faced on a continuous basis I can list the following: the over-development of road infrastructure, quarries, boatyards, solar farms and fireworks factories proposed in rural areas and in lieu of agricultural land. Added to these examples one can add the craze of changing the use of agricultural land into picnic or barbeque areas. This creation of recreational areas is squeezing out agriculture! All this would not happen without the complicity of the Planning Authority and those appointed to lead it.

The agricultural fair organised last week exposed another aspect: the anguish of the farming community. A discussion organised within the precincts of the grounds of the agricultural fair focused on food security. The spiralling cost of imported animal feed fuelled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as international business pressures are adding to the problems of those involved in animal husbandry.

Farmers are being pushed out of the land they have been tilling at an increasing rate. No one in his right senses would dare invest in the modernisation of an agricultural holding in such a climate. The banks, on the other hand, emphasised the farmers who took part in the discussion, are not forthcoming with loans to facilitate matters, most probably as they consider the risks involved too high.

In the meantime, eviction of farmers from the land they have tilled for generations continues unabated as government takes too long to come up with a reform of the agricultural lease legal setup.

Government has, for all intents and purposes, abandoned the agricultural community. In addition, it has repeatedly carved agricultural land into new or widened roads. The irrigated agricultural land at Attard had to make way for the so-called Central Link. Shortly more agricultural land on the outskirts of  Qormi will make way for improvements to the Mrieħel bypass project.  Add this to the planned havoc continuously emanating from the Planning Authority and you can easily understand what the agricultural community has to bear.

It is indeed ironic that a government which boasts of a programme which is intended to create more open spaces is at the same time determined to ruin more natural open spaces on the outskirts of our towns and villages.

It is clear that government has taken a basic political decision: cars have a priority over agriculture. This decision is clearly manifested in the manner of operation of Infrastructure Malta which is gobbling up extensive agricultural land which stands in the way of its projects. It is further manifested in the absolute silence of the Agricultural Ministry when it is faced with this behaviour. The agricultural minister is apparently more interested in our heritage which leaves him little time to focus on the needs of agriculture and the farmers who depend on it for their livelihood.

Given the ever-increasing population on these islands it was always very clear that local agriculture could never, on its own, suffice to cater for our needs. Supplementing local agricultural produce with imported produce should be done with care as there is always a danger that the local market can be flooded with low priced goods which make the life of our farmers more miserable than it already is!

The organisation of the agricultural fair was a good idea. It must however be supplemented with a heavy dose of good faith which is missing in the attitudes of the holders of political office in the Ministry of Agriculture through the rest of the year, that is when there is no agricultural fair!

published on the Malta Independent on Sunday : 29 May 2022

Ir-raba’ qed isejħilna

Diversi tefgħu għajnejhom fuq art agrikola biex jixtruha. Ma jriduhiex għax għandhom xi interess fl-agrikultura iżda għal diversi raġunijiet oħra. Hemm min iridha għal investiment u hemm min iridha biex fiha jqatta’ l-ħin liberu tiegħu, għall-kwiet, il-bogħod mill-istorbju madwar l-inħawi fejn noqgħodu jew naħdmu.

Dawn, għax jifilħu jħallsu qed jgħollu l-prezz li qed joffru u bi prezz għoli qed jispiċċaw jixtru bosta tmiem raba’ f’diversi partijiet ta’ Malta u Għawdex.

Billi bħalissa din it-tip ta’ domanda qed tikber qed jinħoloq suq li fih il-prezz offrut għal art agrikola hu għoli, għax hemm min jiflaħ u jrid iħallas. Dan qed iħajjar sewwa lil min ibiegħ.

Ma hemmx għalfejn ngħidilkom li bosta sidien tar-raba’ jippreferu somma tajba milli l-ftit ċekċik ta’ euro li bħalissa qed idaħħlu mill-qbiela.

Fin-nofs, imma, hemm il-bidwi li l-qbiela li illum iħallas hi baxxa wisq, ftit euro fis-sena. Bla dubju l-qbiela trid tiżdied. Id-diffikultà hi dwar kemm għandha tkun din iż-żieda. Għax ir-raba’ anke jekk fgata bil-kimika, prinċipalment fil-forma ta’ pestiċidi, ftit tista’ tikkompetti ma dawk li għandhom but fond ħafna. Dan apparti l-fatt li l-kimika fir-raba’ teħtieġ li tonqos sewwa, u preferibilment ma tintużax iktar!

Il-biedja ma tirrendix qliegħ biżżejjed biex tagħmel tajjeb għal dawn il-prezzijiet li qed jintalbu. Għal uħud dan ifisser li l-biedja allura għandha tagħmel il-wisa’ għal min jiflaħ iħallas. Il-bdiewa allura, x’ser jiġri minnhom? L-ikel meħtieġ minn artna, min ser jieħu ħsiebu? Ma nistgħux niddependu biss minn ikel impurtat.

Sa ftit ġranet ilu dan kien l-argument li f’każ wara l-ieħor il-Qrati tagħna kienu qed jaċċettaw. Il-każijiet kienu qed jinqatgħu wieħed wara l-ieħor a bażi ta’ din il-liġi tal-ġungla: li min jiflaħ għall-prezz tas-suq għandu d-dritt li jħawwel lil min ma jiflaħx għalih.

Iżda din il-ġimgħa kellna każ interessanti li poġġa l-argumenti li smajna s’issa rashom l-isfel.

F’sentenza mogħtija nhar it-Tlieta li għaddew l-Imħallef Wenzu Mintoff għamel l-argument favur il-biedja. Argument li rari, jekk qatt, instema’ fl-awli tal-Qrati tagħna. Il-pajjiż, qal l-Imħallef, għandu jħares il-biedja u japprezza iktar dak li tirrendi. Jekk ma nħarsux il-biedja, x’ser nieklu? Il-kummerċ ma’ barra mhux dejjem jipprovdi, biżżejjed jew fil-ħin.  Ma nistgħux nistrieħu fuq il-kummerċ ma’ barra biss. L-art tagħna, jekk tinħadem tista’ tipprovdi, kif ipprovdiet iktar minn biżżejjed fil-passat. Imma jeħtieġ li l-art inħarsuha.

L-imħallef Mintoff għamel tlett osservazzjonijiet importanti.

Fl-1967 il-Parlament Malti, osserva l-Imħallef, approva liġi dwar il-qbiela. Dan għamlu biex iħares l-użu tal-art agrikola, għax anke dakinnhar kien ikkunsidrat li kien hemm il-ħtieġa għal dan il-ħarsien. Dan kien skop leġittimu tal-Parlament Malti.

L-Imħallef kompla josserva li l-istat għandu r-responsabbiltà li jassigura li pajjiż ikollu biżżejjed prodotti tal-ikel għall-ħtiġijiet tal-pajjiż. Dan kien rifess tal-qagħda ekonomika u finanzjarja tal-pajjiż.

Ikompli josserva li minkejja l-liberalizzazzjoni tal-kummerċ u l-importazzjoni tal-ikel minn barra, l-istat xorta jibqalu l-obbligu li jassigura ruħu li l-pajjiż ma jkunx jiddependi iżżejjed fuq l-importazzjoni. Jekk dan ma jsirx, l-agrikultura, ftit ftit tispiċċa, darba għal dejjem.

Dan kollu għandu jseħħ f’kuntest ta’ rispett sħih tad-drittijiet fundamentali ta’ kulħadd.

Huwa fid-dawl ta’ dan kollu li jridu nfasslu u niddeċiedu t-triq il-quddiem.

Fid-deċiżjoni tiegħu l-Imħallef Wenzu Mintoff jemfasizza li l-valur reali tar-raba’ jrid ikun rifless ta’ dak li l-art verament tirrendi. L-argumenti legali li tagħmel il-Qorti huma kumplessi ħafna iktar minn hekk, imma essenzjalment il-Qorti qed tgħid li l-biedja għandha valur fih innifsu u huwa f’dan il-valur li wieħed irid isib is-soluzzjoni għall-problema li għandna quddiemna.

Il-kobba hi mħabbla sewwa u każ wieħed mhux ser isolvi l-biżibilju kawżi li bħalissa deħlin fil-Qrati biex ikunu żgumbrati l-bdiewa minn raba’ li ġieb prezz tajjeb fis-suq tal-propjetà. Apparti dan, hu fatt li l-messaġġ ċar u etiku tal-Imħallef Mintoff idarras lil bosta li l-unika valur li jafu bih u japprezzaw hu il-valur tal-flus.

Din hi l-problema reali li minħabba fiha r-raba’ qed isejħilna. Qed jgħajjat u jokrob, imma ħafna mhux qed jagħtu każ.

Ippubblikat fuq Illum: il-Ħadd 26 ta’ Diċembru 2021

L-impatti tal-Coronavirus: inħarsu l-impiegi kollha

Il-Gvern ħabbar pakkett finanzjarju ta’ €1.8 biljun biex jilqa’ għall-impatti tal-Coronavirus.

Kif ser ikun effettwat il-ħaddiem b’kuntratt bla rabta ta’ numru ta’ siegħat li jaħdem (zero-hours contract), jew dawk f’impieg temporanju, dawk tas-sengħa li jaħdmu għal rashom, inkella n-negozjanti ż-żgħar? Il-pakkett finanzjarju imħabbar, ftit li xejn jaħseb fihom. Allura, minkejja l-merti tiegħu, il-pakkett finanzjarju tal-Gvern mhux tajjeb biżżejjed.

Il-ħaddiem iż-żgħir l-ewwel li jlaqqatha f’kull kriżi. Hu l-impatt fuqhom li għandu jservi ta’ kejl biex inkunu nistgħu niffurmaw opinjoni dwar kemm dan il-pakkett finanzjarju, kif ukoll dawk li għad jistgħu jiġu, huma effettivi.

Ilkoll nieħdu pjaċir b’inizjattivi biex jassiguraw li l-ekonomija u min iħaddimha jiġi fuq saqajh, mhux biss meta tiġi fi tmiemha din il-kriżi iżda ukoll fil-mixja li jeħtieġilna ngħaddu minnha biex nirkupraw. Imma kemm hu sew li noħorġu r-riżorsi tal-pajjiż biex tkun tista’ tirkupra ekonomija li mhiex kapaċi tirrispetta l-iktar dgħajfa fostna?

Il-proposti tal-Gvern biex jilqa’ għall-impatti tal-Coronavirus ma jorbtux lill-operaturi ekonomiċi li jagħmlu użu mill-proposti differenti fil-pakkett milli jħarsu l-impiegi. Is-sensji diġa bdew. Il-ħaddiem iż-żgħir l-ewwel li jlaqqatha. Warajh ilaqqtuha oħrajn.

Il-pakkett tal-Gvern biex jilqa’ għall-effetti tal-Coronavirus jeħtieġ miżuri addizzjonali.

L-għajnuna li ser tingħata għandha tmur lil dawk li sofrew tnaqqis sostanzjali fid-dħul tagħhom meta kkomparat mas-sena li għaddiet. Il-pakkett tal-Gvern huwa iffukat biex jiffaċilita l-likwidità kif ukoll biex jgħin ħalli jkun iggarantit self bankarju. Filwaqt li dawn huma miżuri importanti, f’din il-kriżi hu essenzjali li l-għajnuna tkun iffukata fuq il-pagi tal-ħaddiema. L-għajnuna diretta lill-operaturi ekonomiċi għandha tkun marbuta mal-obbligu tagħhom li jipproteġu l-impiegi. Jekk ma jkunx imħares ix-xogħol m’għandhiex tingħata għajnuna.

Aħna l-Ħodor f’Alternattiva Demokratika mħassba dwar il-ħaddiem iż-żgħir. Hu l-ewwel ma jlaqqatha f’din il-kriżi: huma l-ewwel vittmi tal-Coronavirus. L-għajnuna li dawn jeħtieġu hi fil-forma ta’ dħul minimu garantit tul ix-xhur li ġejjin, kemm iddum il-kriżi. Huma l-iktar vulnerabbli u ħadd mhu jitkellem dwarhom.

Il-kirjiet ta’ residenzi għandhom jiġġeddu awtomatikament sakemm tintemm il-kriżi. Għandu jkun hemm provediment għall-ħarsien minn xoljiment ta’ kuntratti ta’ kera tul il-kriżi. Hemm ħtieġa ukoll li tul il-kriżi l-Gvern jimpenja ruħu iktar biex jassigura illi l-iktar vulnerabbli jkollhom saqaf fuq rashom. Dan għandu jsir dejjem imma b’mod specjali tul il-kriżi.

Aħna l-Ħodor tal-fehma li l-impatt ta’ din il-kriżi fuq l-impiegi turi difetti strutturali fil-qasam soċjali fil-pajjiż. Malta mhux l-unika pajjiż li qed jiffaċċja din il-problema. Huwa importanti li bħal numru ta’ pajjiżi oħra, fosthom l-Isveżja, in-Norveġja, il-belt ta’ Utrecht fl-Olanda, anke f’Malta nidħlu fil-fond u neżaminaw kif jistgħu jaħdmu skemi ta’ dħul minimu garantit li jirreferu għalihom bħala Universal Basic Income u Guaranteed Minimum Income schemes. Ikun għaqli li neżaminaw sewwa dawn it-tip ta’ skemi, għax dawn jistgħu joffrulna tarka tajba meta nkunu iffaċċjati b’dawn il-kriżijiet.

Huwa l-waqt li kulħadd iżomm rasu f’lokha. Il-paroli vojt fil-Parlament tal-Ministru Silvio Schembri iktar kmieni din il-ġimgħa kien barra minn postu u għamel il-ħsara, minkejja li wara skuża ruħu. Qatt mhi idea tajba li thedded bit-tkeċċija lil dawk li b’ħidmiethom taw kontribut biex il-pajjiż kiber, anke bix-xogħol tagħhom. Meta din il-kriżi tgħaddi jerġgħu jkunu huma, inkella oħrajn bħalhom, li nsibu biex jagħmlu dak ix-xogħol li għalih la hemm Maltin, inkella l-Maltin ma jridux jagħmluh għal raġunijiet diversi. Anke issa stess l-Onor Ministru jista’ jagħti titwila lejn is-servizz tas-saħħa u jara jekk hux possibli li jopera mingħajrhom, flimkien dejjem mal-kollegi Maltin. Flimkien qed jagħtu servizz impekkabbli lil pajjiż.

Ilkoll niftakru kif madwar sena ilu, l-Prim Ministru Joseph Muscat kien assoċja l-involviment tal-barranin fid-dinja tax-xogħol f’Malta mal-ġbir taż-żibel. Anke hu, dakinnhar kien għamel apoloġija. Imma sfortunatament il-preġudizzji tiegħu ħallihom warajh fil-Kabinett ta’ Robert Abela.

Ippubblikat fuq Illum : Il-Ħadd 22 ta’ Marzu 2020

Coronavirus fallout: the need to protect all jobs

Government has announced its financial package which it described as being a €1.8 billion stimulus package. What is in it for a zero-hours contract worker, the casual worker, the freelance tradesman, the small-scale businessman? Nothing at all. Hence notwithstanding its merits, Government’s package is not a suitable package.

Zero-hour contract workers, the casual worker, the freelance tradesmen and the small-scale businessmen are the first casualties in each and every crisis. It is in the assessment of their plight that we can arrive at a conclusion on the suitability or otherwise of this and any other Covid19 recovery package.

We all applaud initiatives to ensure that the economy and its operators can stand back on their feet not just when this crisis is over, but also along the long road to recovery. But, what purpose is there in pumping the nation’s resources to recover an economy which is not capable of respecting the most vulnerable ones amongst us?

Government’s Covid19 package proposals do not seek to bind economic operators making use of the different opportunities in the stimulus package to protect their labour force. Redundancies have already started. Casual workers and zero-hour contract workers are the first casualties. Others will soon follow.

Additional measures are called for in Government’s Covid19 package.

Assistance given to economic operators should only go to those which have suffered a drastic reduction in their income when compared to last year. Government’s package is predominantly focused on assistance in providing guarantees for bank loans as well as in facilitating and ensuring liquidity. While these are important measures, in this crisis, aid focused directed towards wages of workers is essential. Any direct assistance to economic operators should be linked to their duty of protecting jobs. No job protection should equate to no aid.

Greens are concerned about several freelance tradesman, small scale businessmen as well as casual labour and workers on zero-hours contracts. They are bearing the brunt of the very sharp decrease in work opportunities: they are the first victims of Covid19. Aid to these categories should be a guaranteed income scheme for the coming months, throughout the duration of the crisis. These are the categories which are the most vulnerable and which nobody is talking about.

The lease contracts for tenants should be automatically renewed until the crisis is overcome. There should be introduced a special protection from eviction throughout the Coronavirus crisis. There is also a need for a greater commitment by the government to offer adequate and decent housing to the most vulnerable in particular during this time of crisis.

Greens consider that the crisis’ impacts on employment is showing the structural defects the country has in the social field. Malta is not the only country to have to face this problem. It is important that like various other countries, notably Sweden, Norway, and the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands, guaranteed income schemes referred to as Universal Basic Income and Guaranteed Minimum Income are discussed in depth in Malta too. It would be wise to start considering such schemes for the future as they could offer a long-term solution.

It is time for level-headedness. Minister Silvio Schembri’s outburst in Parliament earlier this week was uncalled for and damaging, even though he eventually apologised. It is never the time to threaten with expulsion those who have contributed so much to our country and economy. When the crisis is eventually over it will be those whom the Hon Minister threatened with expulsion who will once more plug the gap. Even now, the Hon Minister should take a look at the health service and consider whether it would be possible to operate without the participation of non-Maltese medics and paramedical staff who are performing miracles through their professional service hand-in-hand with their Maltese colleagues.

We do remember that around 12 months ago then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat equated non-Maltese participation in the local labour force with refuse collectors. Though he too eventually apologised, his prejudice unfortunately lingers on in those he left behind in Robert Abela’s Cabinet.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday : 22 March 2020