Scheme to promote local produce

Tomato Processors will benefit from Lm65,000 for the promotion of products made from locally grown tomatoes, under a scheme launched by Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino yesterday.

The processors who benefit from this scheme will be bound to increase the quantity of tomatoes bought from local farmers by 25 per cent this year.

In 2005 a total of 7,829 tonnes of tomatoes were bought for processing, and the target for this year is 9,786 tonnes.

The processors benefiting from the scheme have to use at least 50 per cent of the funds to advertise and promote their products; the remainder may be used to cover costs of sales and marketing.

The processors are required to submit a marketing plan to explain how they would spend the funds allocated to them.

Mr Pullicino said the scheme aimed to improve locally produced products' position on the local market by increasing the Maltese consumers' appreciation of the high quality of locally grown tomatoes.

Parliamentary Secretary Francis Agius said the ministry had spent around Lm10,000 to build a tomato processing plant after detailed studies.

Carmel Mifsud, the president of the Association for Maltese Tomato Producers, said most tomato producers want to increase their production and this scheme would help them. There are about 400 tomato growers in Malta.