Alfred Sant yesterday. Photo: Claire Xuereb

Malta needed to convince the EU to recognise the creation of Maltese branding of local agricultural produce, former Prime Minister Alfred Sant said.

Initiatives on this basis would need to be led by the Maltese government, which has already started down this road, he added.

Dr Sant, who will be contesting the MEP elections in May, pledged that, if elected to the European Parliament, he would back to the hilt government initiatives in favour of Maltese agriculture and would take care to press for all reforms of the present system.

Speaking during a tour of greenhouses at Imtaħleb, Dr Sant praised the work being carried out there.

The problem the farmers raised was that many local farmers specialising in the production of fresh vegetables were being subjected to unfair competition.

They felt they should be compensated for the disadvantages that they were having to wrestle with.

Most of the latter resulted from the small size of the Maltese territory and from the lack of water.