A €2.3 million project to grow Maltese plants from various habitats and eco-systems was launched this morning by Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino.

The plant and tree conservation project is being funded by the EU.

The trees and plans will be collected and grown in four tumoli of land that forms part of the Plant Directorate Centre in Lija.

It is expected to start early next year and should take around a year to complete. It will help conserve and sustain plants in the Maltese eco-system which are slowly being lost.

Director Marika Gatt explained that a survey will be carried out as part of the project to help identify the ecosystem and plants to be included.

A number of plants and trees to be included have already been identified. These include the fig and mulberry trees as well as six local type of citrus trees which are slowly being replaced by foreign types.

Once the project is completed, the area will be open to the public and will serve as a public garden and a centre of information.

Mr Pullicino also encouraged the public to visit the tree planting day this weekend at Ghajn Tuffieha, as part of the government's 34U Project. A total of 115,000 trees have been planted under this project since 2004.