Karl Stagno-Navarra Rural Affairs ministry officials are reportedly investigating serious allegations that consignments of winter crop potatoes exported to Holland were being ‘abusively’ exchanged for spring crop potatoes.
The investigations were prompted by a judicial protest filed this week by veteran exporter Raymond Abdilla of Safi against a fellow villagers Raphael and Catherine Scerri, both directors at Quality Fruit & Veg Ltd.
In the judicial protest, Raymond Abdilla asked the court to stop Scerri from exporting winter crops and declaring them as spring crops.
“This malpractice causes untold damage to farmers as well as to the amounts of potatoes that could be exported,” Abdilla said, adding that “this illegal trading should be condemned and stopped with immediate effect to ensure that the damage caused is contained, and moreover, never repeated as it prejudices the reputation of the local potato industry, presently the only crop Malta exports.”
Raymond Abdilla explained that he has an exclusive agreement with Agrico BV of the Netherlands, that produces seeds for the ‘Sante’ crop.
Abdilla claims that he is the sole importer for the ‘Sante’ seed and has this year planted the seed and produced the crop as certified by GlobalGAP AH Protocol.
Once the crop is ripe and fit for export, it is sent from Malta to the Netherlands under an exclusive contract with Blankendaal Trade BV, however, a few days ago, the Scerri’s allegedly exported Maltese grown potatoes and advertised it as ‘Sante’ crop.
Abdilla alleges that the advertisements are a scam as it is untrue that the crops are ‘Spring crops’ and neither certified as GlobalGap.
While Raphael and Catherine Scerri still have to reply to the judicial protest filed by Raymond Abdilla, a spokesman for the ministry for rural affairs and the environment told MaltaToday that although the issue is of a commercial nature and not addressed to the ministry, nonetheless it was looking into the matter and is waiting to see what replies will be filed by the second party.
“Soon after the judicial letter was filed, the Ministry issued immediate instructions to the departmental director concerned to commence investigations on the potatoes that are set to be exported to the Netherlands at this time, however no irregularites were discovered so far,” the spokesman said.
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