This scheme is open to non-commercial farmers, therefore falling under Category One (1) of the categorisation of farmers who either hold a valid agricultural land lease from the Lands Authority or privately own an agricultural land which is registered with the Agriculture Directorate. Eligible applicants may apply to temporarily transfer such agricultural land to Riżorsi Agrikoli Malta (RAM) for a period of three (3) years, in accordance with the applicable Guidelines, which form an integral part of this scheme and are available at: https://ram.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Guidelines-RAM-Financial-Incentives-1.pdf
For the purposes of this scheme, “agricultural land” shall mean unused or underutilised land classified or designated for agricultural use that is suitable for growing crops.
Upon submission, applications will undergo a vetting, validation and assessment process in accordance with the Guidelines and any other applicable rules, procedures, and internal checks adopted by Riżorsi Agrikoli Malta. The submission of an application does not automatically entitle the applicant to participate in the scheme or to receive financial incentives. Applications will only be confirmed as eligible once all necessary administrative, technical, and internal checks have been completed and formally approved by RAM.
Only applications that successfully satisfy all eligibility requirements and assessment criteria, and that are formally approved by Riżorsi Agrikoli Malta, will proceed to the subsequent phases.
Upon approval, the relevant parcel or parcels of agricultural land shall be entered into an official inventory maintained by Riżorsi Agrikoli Malta. The land shall thereafter be managed and administered by RAM and may be allocated, at the discretion of RAM and in accordance with the applicable rules, to young farmers or to farmers falling under Categories Three (3), Four (4), or Five (5) of the farmer categorisation system, for the purpose of agricultural production and, in particular, the cultivation of food crops.
In the event that the agricultural land is not allocated to any eligible farmer after three attempts, the applicant’s request shall be deemed withdrawn and therefore, the title holder will not benefit from the financial incentive even if he is considered as eligible.
Where the agricultural land is allocated in accordance with the provisions above, RAM shall enter into a formal agreement with the title holder of the land. Upon execution of such agreement, the applicant shall be eligible for the financial incentive, subject to compliance with all other applicable conditions of the scheme.
Eligible beneficiaries shall be entitled to a financial incentive of one thousand five hundred euro (€1,500) per tumolo (1124m²) of agricultural land, payable in three (3) annual instalments of five hundred euro (€500) per tumolo per year, covering the full duration of the three-year commitment period. The minimum eligible area for compensation under this scheme shall be one (1) tumolo.
Where an applicant submits land comprising more than one parcel, each parcel shall be treated as a separate commitment, and a separate application must be submitted for each individual parcel.
Applicants are advised to refer to the Guidelines for further information on the applicability of this scheme, as these form an integral part of this call.