In the early hours of Monday morning, representatives of Malta Youth in Agriculture (MaYA) said that they witnessed how farmers managed to avert “total chaos” by sticking together and working towards one main goal.
In a statement, it highlighted the fact that the “intended disruption from the Pitkala Association didn’t come without losses, and the real consequences are yet to be fully evaluated, however this confirms that the sector can indeed flourish if there is a long-term investment in collaboration.”
MaYA also stressed that, the situation would have also been worse “had there not been a dedicated Ministry with a sufficient set of decision-makers to intervene and assist in a timely and decisive manner.”
It went on to say that the Farmers’ Central Cooperative Ltd. (FCCS), which has been inhibited from operating inside the Pitkalija premises through a court order, played an important role in organising the ad hoc market at MFCC car park in Ta’ Qali.
The cooperative, MaYA explained, mobilised a workforce to assist both its members and non-members, and managed to handle quantities larger than usual in a provisional setup for which they had limited time to prepare.
A farmers-led co-op active since 1948, the FCCS is made up of a number of other farmers’ cooperatives who altogether represent over 26% of the products sold at the Pitkali.
Over the weekend a large number of farmers also managed to sell their produce directly from their fields or by teaming up together, said MaYA.
MaYA appealed to the retail sector, especially it said, “hawkers, green grocers and supermarkets, who should not take advantage of the current situation since they are not carrying the highest risks.”
It also reiterated its call for the Ministry for Agriculture to persist in showing its support towards growers. “Finally, we urge consumers to keep on asking for local fruit and vegetables and to choose outlets which offer locally-sourced produce on their shelves.”