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Karl Schembri
The Secretary General of the Association of Farmers has reported individual farmers to the authorities who were importing peaches from Sicily and selling them as Maltese produce.
Speaking to MaltaToday, Peter Axisa said he filed the report after seeing for himself farmers coming out of the Catamaran in a van unloading peaches in crates used for Maltese produce.
“I saw them with my own eyes,” Axisa said. “These farmers were unloading crates of peaches they brought over from Sicily already packed in Maltese boxes to sell them as Maltese peaches.”
In all probability empty Maltese crates were taken up to Sicily where they were packed with peaches.
The incident confirmed Axisa’s suspicion that certain imported fruits were being sold as if they were grown in Malta to fetch higher prices.
“This is unacceptable,” Axisa said. “They’re cheating their customers and themselves. If we truly believe in the Maltese product we have to make sure this never happens. This has to be condemned and these people should not be considered as bona fide farmers.”
Axisa reported the incident to the Director of Agriculture, Anthony Mifsud.
However, the Director General of Agriculture, George Carbone, told MaltaToday that Axisa’s claims were “far-fetched”.
“It’s definitely not a widespread practice,” Carbone said, dismissing Axisa’s claims as exaggerated.
Axisa however insisted that such reports should be taken seriously.
“We owe it to the consumer to give them the products they are paying for,” Axisa said. “This is not an argument against the importation of foreign fruits. It’s a question of being honest and labeling genuine Maltese products when they originate from here so that consumers could choose as they wish.”
Axisa said the Farmers’ Association intends taking the issue of labeling of Maltese products seriously. On Tuesday at 6pm it will be convening its members to discuss the setting up of a producers’ organization at St Agatha’s College.
“Bona fide farmers are very disillusioned at the moment,” Axisa said. “It’s about time we get together and promote our genuine Maltese fruits and vegetables. It would also be a guarantee of quality to the consumers who opt for Maltese products.”
karl@newsworksltd.com
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