The volume of fruit and vegetables sold during the first half of the year was up by 9.1 per cent when compared to the same period in 2015, new figures from the National Statistics Office show. 

But NSO figures showed that while sales volumes in official markets were up, the wholesale value fell by 2 per cent over that period, with sales yielding €12.6 million when compared to €12.9m last year. That figure is however still higher than 2014's €10m in wholesale value. 

There was an abundance of eggplants locally, with volume up by a massive 44.4 per cent. Lemons (43.2 per cent),  watermelons (25.4 per cent), carrots (20.2 per cent), marrows (18.7 per cent), tomatoes (17.8 per cent) and potatoes (16.4 per cent) were also plentiful. 

Fruit was in less abundant supply. Despite healthy increases in the amounts of lemons, watermelons, oranges and strawberries for sale, fruit volume in general was down by 7.5 per cent. 

Figures were similar when only local produce was counted. Local farmers produced 9.3 per cent more fruit and vegetables in the first half of the year as they had in the same period last year. But while Maltese farmers saw the wholesale value of their produce decline by 1.6 per cent, things were tougher for Gozitan farmers, with the wholesale value of their products down by 5.7 per cent.