Farmers needed pesticides to have good produce, Parliamentary Secretary Clint Camilleri said on Thursday, insisting on the importance of sustainable use of chemicals.

Addressing a press conference at the government farm in Għammieri, the Agriculture Parliamentary Secretary said that with the action plan to be unveiled soon, the government would be working towards ensuring that the use of pesticides was more sustainable.

The government’s action plan, being drawn up together with the MCCAA, would seek to address issues related to pesticides and would be unveiled soon. A public consultation on the plan comes to an end on Sunday, with the authorities having held meetings with stakeholders in recent weeks.

Read: Farmers not taking precautions risked pesticide poisoning, warns expert

While insisting on the importance of farmers making good use of pesticides, Mr Camilleri emphasised that when used well, pesticides were crucial to farmers and their produce.

On what was leading to the overuse of pesticides by farmers, Mr Camilleri said that this was due to one of two reasons – either the farmer was not equipped with the skills on how to make good use of the chemicals or the fact that in Malta, the types of pesticides available was limited.

Also speaking at the press conference, Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Rights Deo Debattista insisted that the action plan was important not only because it served as guidance to farmers but because it also meant that consumers would be even more protected.

Read: Reviewed national action plan for sustainable use of pesticides in Malta

He insisted that the government wanted to someday have all organic farming in all farms, noting however that this was no easy feat, especially when one took into consideration the island’s small size.