Pig farmers advised to consider their options as industry falls into hard times

The lack of long-term planning by the Pig Breeders Cooperative was solely to blame for the dire situation Maltese pig breeders now found themselves in, according to Roderick Galdes, parliamentary secretary for agriculture.

And the inflated number of pig farms in Malta was pushing the price of pork up locally while prices within the EU remained very low, leaving Maltese farmers with no viable sales outlet, he said.

There were currently around 130 pig farms in Malta, and only around 80 registered farmers working the same farms.

“This situation is untenable and it is now clear that pig breeders need to start diversifying their operations, moving away from pigs to other breeds of animals, such as sheep and goats,” Galdes said, while replying to questions put to him by opposition MP Tony Bezzina.

He said they could even consider other options such as agro-tourism to replace their pig-breeding operation.

“But do not breed pigs any more when you know that there is nowhere you can go with that product,” he insisted.

Galdes said that it was unfortunate that in the 12 years since EU accession, the pig breeders association had failed to come up with any long-term plans for the viability and survivability of pig farms, as had happened in the dairy industry.

“Over €30 million in aid has been given to pig breeders since 2004,” he said, acknowledging that most of that money had found its way to the breeders themselves.

“But except for looking to guarantee the supply of cereals for the farms, the cooperative did nothing in 12 years and pig farms now find themselves with their backs to the wall,” Galdes said.