James Debono
A reduction of 41% in land available for potato growing in Malta since European Union accession is being blamed on the EU’s higher standards of consumer protection, the rural affairs ministry has told MaltaToday.
A spokesperson told MaltaToday that pre-EU standards were so lax that low-grade potatoes were also exported to countries like the Netherlands, one of Malta’s main export markets.
Statistics from the NSO show the land dedicated to potato production has decreased from 1,207 hectares in 2003, to just 712 hectares in 2007.
Ministry official Karmenu Abela explained that the decrease in land can be attributed to Malta’s implementation of the Code of Good Agricultural Practice, which sets regulations on safety and consumer protection.
“Small amateur farmers who used to grow small amounts of potatoes on the side for the export market found that adhering to these new regulations, such as the grading system, was not worth the effort for them,” Abela said.
He explained that prior to EU membership there was a different approach which allowed lower quality potatoes to be sold and exported. “Before, potatoes which did not meet the required standards were allowed to pass. The grading which was done back then was superficial.”
Abela said the potato sector is now being consolidated. “Most farmers who have continued to grow potatoes now produce over and above a certain threshold and this enables them to invest more in farm machinery like potato lifters, in order to meet today’s market exigencies.”
This investment would not have been viable for small farmers producing potatoes on the side. Aid schemes are also in place to help farmers invest in such equipment. “In the new market realities we have to compete on the basis of quality, not quantity and this requires higher standards and food safety regulations,” Abela said.
Prior to EU membership the situation was not sustainable because supermarkets in countries like Holland insisted that only potatoes of a certain grade were sold.
According to Abela many of these small farmers have either continued to grow potatoes for their own use or have shifted to other crops.
In fact the decrease of 495 hectares in land dedicated to potato production has been accompanied by an increase of 564 hectares in the kitchen garden sector. “This reflects a shift of small producers growing potatoes for their own families instead of selling them for export.”
Yet despite the decrease in export from 7,200 tonnes in the 2004/5 crop year, to 2,600 tonnes in the 2006/2007 crop year, the Maltese potato still enjoys a good reputation in export markets.
“Last year the Maltese potato fetched a record price in the Dutch market because the Dutch consumer still wants the early Maltese potatoes,” Abela said.
The potato crop constituted a very important sector in Maltese agriculture since farmers have been exporting potatoes for well over a hundred years.
The export of early potatoes has continued to develop over the years to become one of Malta’s main agricultural export activity, involving over 800 small-scale farmers who grow their potato crop from certified seed potatoes, mainly imported from the Dutch seed potato company Agrico.
The spring-crop potatoes from Malta are very appreciated on the Dutch market, where Maltese potatoes achieve premium and distinct prices from the produce of other European countries. In fact Malta potatoes are often referred to in the trade journals as the ‘Maltas’. The Dutch consumers, especially those having the traditional eating habits, have acquired a preference for our produce for which they are ready to pay high prices.
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