The cleaning and provision of crates for farmers has deteriorated to the point that the government withheld funds from the service providers this year, the Rural Affairs Ministry said.

Between 2007 and 2009, the government had passed on almost €500,000 to the company that provides clean crates to farmers. But the service had, nonetheless, deteriorated over that period, resulting in farmers’ “justified” complaints about their shortage and poor state of cleanliness.

Feeling the situation was “unacceptable and unjust” towards the farmers, the government this year informed Pitkali Crates Ltd that part of their due payment, which comes from farmers who use the service, would be withheld until the situation improved.

However, it had actually deteriorated further since, to the detriment of the farmers, the ministry said.

Pitkali Crates Ltd, a non-profit-making organisation set up in 1989, recently complained that the government owed it more than €200,000, which it was bound by law to collect on its behalf. Last week it met farmers to inform them about the situation.

It also lamented the lack of space it had to operate in, saying the government had reduced the size of its washing station in Attard, down to a narrow shed from 1,400 square metres, causing hygiene problems and inefficiency.

Pitkali Crates Ltd said it had been requesting more space for the last five years, admitting that the supply of clean crates to carry agricultural produce had been drastically reduced as a result.

But the government pointed out that Pitkali Crates Ltd was a signatory to the management agreement with the Rural Affairs Ministry and Ta’ Qali Producers Group, to which part of its space had been passed on.

The ministry said it was ready to do anything to improve the lives of farmers and any solution to the problem – even temporary – would be discussed with them before being implemented.