As I'm scribbling down these few paragraphs, I can breath a sigh of relief since I'm approaching the final stages of this journey. A lot of you have been following with interest this study, and I thank you all for the encouragement and motivation. I also feel obliged to relate what's been happening in the … Continue reading Investigating characteristics and trends of young farmers in Malta – Main findings
In response to the Ag-Press request for country-specific information - "Farming during COVID-19 pandemic: how is your country coping?" Here is an overview about what's been happening in Malta over the past weeks. Local authorities have been on high alert and tackling the COVID-19 outbreak with great responsibility. The Health Minister Dr. Chris Fearne and … Continue reading COVID-19 and Maltese agriculture
President-elect Ursula von der Leyen presented her team and the new structure of the next European Commission. The new Commission will reflect the priorities and ambitions set out in the Political Guidelines. Janusz Wojciechowski, was a long-serving Member of the European Parliament in the Agriculture Committee, and is currently a Member of the European Court of Auditors. … Continue reading New Polish Commissioner in charge of European Agriculture
Europe, together with the rest of the world, is still digesting what happened during this weekend. It's been dubbed as the "most important EU vote" to date, and with good reason - the changes that we're all witnessing are undoubtedly both wide-ranging and of an abiding impact. There are many people out there who dissociate … Continue reading Red, Blue, Green and the farmer in between
"There was a significant improvement in the 2017 results and although the sample size is still too small, the first figures for 2018 are also showing a very positive trend. So far, out of all the analysed samples taken by the MSD, we are pleased to note that no pesticide residues were found to exceed … Continue reading Local Products: “a very positive trend” – MCCAA
I can't believe that four years have gone by since the official launch of MaYA! The Malta Youth in Agriculture (MaYA) Foundation was inaugurated on Sunday 1st April 2014 by the Hon. Roderick Galdes, during an event which took place at the Limestone Heritage in Siggiewi. It's been indeed a memorable experience and we have achieved … Continue reading MaYA turns 4!
A few days ago, Dr. Joseph Muscat, Malta's Prime Minister visited the Agribusiness Labs at the Mosta (Żokrija) Secondary School, while launching the public consultation on the first ever Agriculture Policy for Malta. Following my visit at the Kirkop Secondary School a few weeks ago, I was directed to visit the Agribusiness Labs in Mosta to better … Continue reading Agribusiness training finally gaining momentum!
Recently I had a chat with a full time farmer who seemed keen to share an incident that happened to his 11-year-old son... let's call the boy 'Ronald', for argument's sake. Ronald and his classmates were asked by their teacher a question: "Can you mention different professionals?". All the kids started naming conventional professions such … Continue reading “Being a farmer is not a profession” or is it?
Throughout the years, I have been approached by various farmers and enthusiasts about the need for proper agri marketing for Maltese produce. It is now even clearer that even locally, media leaves a huge impact on consumer behaviour. Those who appreciate the food culture are well acquainted with Italian TV programs that exalt their regional … Continue reading Greater demand reported after promoting local products
The National Hub for Ethnobotanical Research, within the President's Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, has launched a study, 'Sharing Seeds, Sharing Life', on Thursday 16th March 2017 at San Anton Palace. It was a pleasure contributing to this research project while representing the Malta Youth in Agriculture Foundation. The study is a participatory action research … Continue reading Sharing Seeds, Sharing Life
Jeanette Borg 