Żurrieq farmers, supported by numerous organisations and residents, are calling on the Lands Authority to “immediately withdraw” its consent for the proposed development of government-owned agricultural land in Tal-Bebbux.
The consent granted to a private developer for Planning Control application PC/00068/22 paves the way for the destruction of productive farmland to make space for further construction.
“The land in question has been farmed for generations and remains a source of local food production,” the NGOs said in a statement.
The letter to the Lands Authority signed by Robert Bondin Carter and Annalisa Schembri is supported by 13 NGOs argues that it is unacceptable for state-owned land—still serving an essential agricultural purpose—to be handed over for private profit, disregarding the interests of farmers, communities, and future generations.
“At a time when Malta is increasingly dependent on imported food and facing a global climate crisis, the decision to eliminate productive, cultivated farmland for development is deeply troubling,” they said, stressing that this reflected a broader and alarming trend.
They described this trend as “a government that remains eager to serve the construction lobby, consistently prioritising greed over environmental sustainability, social justice, and the long-term wellbeing of the population”.
Thousands of public objections have been submitted against this application, underscoring the widespread opposition to the project.
Farmers and supporting organisations insist that the Lands Authority must acknowledge this outcry, recognise the irreversible damage such development would cause, and prevent the misuse of public land for unsustainable urban expansion.
The coalition of farmers, organisations, and residents demands that the Lands Authority revoke its consent and halt the planning process before further harm is done. They stress that the land should be safeguarded for its agricultural and social value rather than sacrificed for unnecessary development.
The signatories urge the Lands Authority to act responsibly and seize this opportunity to protect the public interest, defend farmers’ rights, and reject a development model that prioritises profit over the common good.
L poplunghadu ma fehem xejn! They are all in it together! Jaghmlu l business min fuq artna ja qatta mafia! X ma jsirux miljunarji!! Mhux ghalhekk dal bini kollu! Imma lil poplu bellawielu ghal ekonomija b sahhitha!!
This is probably the first time I disagree with your articles and with the NGOs as well as those that support such an absurd cause.
This is all triggered by emotion and not logic.
The farmer himself had declared it is his hobby where he grows some vegetables for his family..so where is the public benefit?
Too many are ready to shout out loud on this topic without knowing or understanding why they are shouting.
Many people would like to have a small field where to grow a few vegetables, picnic and rest from the traffic and cranes we live in.
Many of these have spent hundreds of thousands to have a small plot to do this..but the farmers object to this too. The Government has issued laws and legislations to protect this monopoly where people under the guise of farmers occupy land for relatively free where they can enjoy their hobby..
A framer should be defined as someone who declares at least 16 to 20k a year and pays taxes on them like the rest of us .
People who occupy land are not farmers, and you cannot stop progress because of someone’s whim or hobby