Following articles relating to the legislation that will reform the hygiene of foodstuffs in Malta, particularly the Ġbejna, the MaYA Foundation an organisation which looks out for the interests of young farmers, is denying that an agreement has been reached with small-scale Ġbejna producers.
The reports, published on Sunday 12th August 2018, were a reaction to an opinion blog published three days prior by local agronomist Ms. Jeanette Borg, who is also the founder of the MaYA foundation, claiming that the fate of the Ġbejna is at stake.
In the Sunday articles, an unnamed ‘government source’ seems to be trying to justify details within the current draft legal notice, making it seem as if the legislation is already implemented. The articles were also intended to sway public opinion into thinking that the Ġbejna is saved, when in actual fact some criteria within the draft legal notice would bring about a collapse in the production of this local product.
Former president of the Xirka tal-Produtturi tan-Nagħaġ u l-Mogħoż, Mr. Publius Falzon confirmed that the organisation has been in discussion with local authorities regarding this legal notice since 2012, and not merely for the past months as the government source reported. The general secretary of the same organisation, Mr. Jason Vella, also noted that some very important details revealed in the articles were never mentioned on the negotiation table.
The MaYA Foundation is calling on authorities to discuss in further detail the draft legislation before presenting it for a vote in front of members of parliament.
