The owner of the controversial ‘sheep farm’ in a pristine valley in Bidnija insists the building is designed to accommodate ‘high-class’ sheep.
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A planning application to expand the current building raised eyebrows after it was revealed the plans included a residence, retail outlet, guest rooms and other commercial spaces.
However, a spokesperson for Bidnija Farming Enterprise Ltd, the company behind the development, said everything was above board.
“Rest assured that every part of the development is intended to cater for sheep. Not just any sheep, but high-net-worth sheep from all over the world, who expect a higher level of service than your average Maltese sheep,” the spokesperson said.
“Whereas most sheep are content to be milked and sheared in a dirty shed without much fuss, the kind of sheep we want to attract are accustomed to getting pampered in five-star surroundings, so the proposed swimming pool, gym and spa are absolutely essential to the future operations of the farm.”
If the plans are given the greenlight, the ‘farm’ will be inaugurated by the most expensive sheep in the world – a Texel breed sheep that was bought for €420,000 in 2020.
Tourism minister Clayton Bartolo also stressed the importane of sheep tourism.
“Together with event tourism and diving tourism, this is one of the niches that we’d like to target in the coming years, and I have definitely not been paid a lot of money by Bidnija Farming Enterprise Ltd to say that,” he said.
The idea of attracting high-quality animal tourists seems to have caught on, with Joseph Portelli submitting plans for a 40-floor farm plus hotel plus shopping centre for pigs in Qormi.
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