The Labour Party yesterday accused the government of having abandoned the Pitkali fruit and vegetable market for years, even though it desperately needed reform.
The comments come in the wake of plans to set up a Farmers' Market that will bypass the Pitkali middlemen.
The PL said it agreed on the need for a system that would allow farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers, however, it believed that the government had simply taken too long to act. Farmers and consumers were the ones to be paying the price for this delay, the former in the form of lower income and the latter by having to pay higher retail prices.
Had it done some proper planning, the government would have, for example, set up a management board to have a modern Pitkali structure to guarantee the highest standards and quality for the consumer by means of graded products, as was done in markets in other EU countries, the party said.
It called on the government to clarify whether those farmers who would be selling products directly to consumers would be eligible for subsidies. If so, the government also had to clarify how payments would be made.
The proposed fruit and vegetable market is due to open twice a week come October and is aimed at giving consumers a fairer deal on fresh fruit and vegetables while netting farmers more for their produce.
Reacting, the Rural Affairs Ministry said the introduction of these measures did not substitute the "necessary" reforms in the Pitkali.
It said the government had already allocated €300,000 to improving the Pitkali infrastructure, better working conditions and ensure high standards.
It said the Farmers' Market initiative was a show of trust in farmers, which would result in more competitive prices and fresher produce for consumers.
As things stand, farmers take their produce to the Pitkali, in Ta' Qali, where they receive payment for their goods from middlemen who sell the produce to hawkers and who, in turn, sell to the consumer at constantly marked-up prices.
The Farmer's Market is a pilot project that would be expanded depending on positive feedback.