The Agriculture Ministry in Malta has introduced new regulations targeting the prevention of mixing foreign vegetables and fruit with those cultivated by Maltese and Gozitan farmers. These regulations align with Malta's Agricultural Products Trade and Maltese Markets for Agricultural Trade, ensuring consumers purchase products originating from local fields.
Mandatory labeling on black crates used at the Pitkalija is part of these measures. Malcolm Borg, President of the 'Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi', stated, "It is a positive law, especially due to the fact that we are fed up of watching circumstances where sellers of fruit and vegetables deceive consumers and put foreign products in Maltese crates." He emphasized the law's potential impact on the sector, noting, "There was no legal framework on which to act…at last this framework is there and I hope that the deceit will end once and for all."
The Malta Food Agency, responsible for overseeing these regulations, plans to release guidelines and directives within two months. Meetings with sector operators and an information campaign are expected to facilitate the transition. Brian Vella, the Agency's chief executive, highlighted that the regulations will provide a product passport from field delivery to consumers, offering transparency in product origin. "This will provide peace of mind that there is no abuse, even of the Maltese product," he noted.
Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo described the regulations as fulfilling an electoral promise, ensuring that products presented in the Pitkalija are genuinely local.
Source: TVM News