Tomato production doubles

More than 11,000 tons of tomatoes were produced this year, almost twice as many as last year, George Pullicino, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment, said yesterday.

Speaking during a visit to the Magro Brothers factory at the Xewkija industrial estate in Gozo, which processes about 60 per cent of the tomatoes harvested, Mr Pullicino attributed this growth to greater interest shown by growers and processors and to the ministry's commitment.

He said that through the technical and financial assistance provided by the government, the sector was expected to achieve a leap in quality and quantity, enabling it to reach the 27,000-ton production mark Malta had negotiated with the European Union.

Mr Pullicino said the tomato processing industry was one of the most important agro industries locally and it was for this reason that the ministry had decided to give it special attention to help it develop further.

The government had negotiated financial assistance for tomato producers so that they would remain competitive even after the removal of import levies.

The minister also visited Farmers Foods, another tomato processing firm in Xewkija.