‘Little government can do to aid pig farms’ – Environment Minister

Strict EU rules mean that there is little that the government can do to concretely help local pig farms, Environment Minister Leo Brincat said.

“EU rules forbid governments to grant subsidies that are aimed at rendering local products more competitive,” Brincat said in response to a parliamentary question by Opposition MP Toni Bezzina. “Since Malta’s EU accession, the pork production sector had to face strong competition, as imported pork products were much cheaper than local ones.

“Consequently, pork production has been decreasing substantially since 2004.”

The Pig Breeders Association (KIM) have admitted that some local pig farms could be forced to shut down as the impact of a Russian trade ban on European food starts to bite. 
“For some farmers, this latest politically-induced crisis was the last straw,” KIM general manager Oliver Frendo told MaltaToday. “Without any aid forthcoming, some of our members who have invested their lives and finances into their farms have already begun to depopulate. In some cases, entire families have been or will soon be forced to find other ways to make a living.” 

Brincat added that the veterinary and sanitary services monitor the meat market to ensure that imported meat doesn’t get sold off as local meat and that pork products are labelled to show their country of origin.

“The Parliamentary Secretariet’s office is in constant contact with the KIM to promote the consumption of local pork and to find new markets where local pork products can be exported,” he said.