Fruit and vegetable importers have hit back at protesting farmers who want to see restrictions on competing non-EU produce and subjected to more stringent testing.

Importers told Times of Malta that without goods from outside the EU to help fill supermarket shelves, demand for local products would skyrocket, sending prices – which they argue are expensive enough – shooting upwards.

And they rejected calls for more stringent tests, stressing there was no need for such a measure when foreign products were already being inspected in their home countries and again when imported into Malta.

Importers also hit out at the quality of Maltese products, arguing some international restaurant chains and visiting cruise ships did not want to use them because they were often spoiled and lacking internationally-recognised certificates.

Their comments came a day after farmers staged a second demonstration against EU rules, driving tractors from Ta’ Qali to Valletta in protest.

Farmers called for restrictions on importing competing non-EU products if local supply can satisfy demand and more rigorous testing of goods from outside the union, arguing they are being forced to meet higher standards than their non-European competitors.

Even the EU doesn’t have enough supplies for the European market- Importer

But importers have said such calls are unrealistic.

“There are not enough [locally produced goods] for all of Malta,” said Mario Mizzi, owner of Mafimex Ltd, importers and distributors of fruit and vegetables.

Estimating the country’s yield of marrows as an example, he questioned whether it was enough: “How can you supply the market with 50 tonnes?”

Mizzi also thinks that if products from outside the EU were blocked, prices of Maltese products would shoot up because of increased demand. This means international items were helping keep local goods affordable.

“Last month, one box of four [wholesale local] cauliflowers was €20 – five euros each. How much are these going to be sold to customers?” he asked, adding that customers were already facing high inflation.

Maltese goods ‘not up to standard’

Robert Debono of Robert Debono Fresh Fruit & Vegetables Ltd agreed, adding that “even the EU doesn’t have enough supplies for the European market”.

And while expressing his support for local produce, Debono said many Maltese goods were “not up to standard”.

Citing cucumbers as an example, he said that while those at the top of a crate often looked good, those at the bottom were frequently damaged or spoiled, insisting that many local products were not up to EU standards.

Pointing to his own experience supplying cruise ships and brands including Hard Rock Cafe, he said such customers didn’t accept produce without the so-called Globalcap certification, an international food standards organisation.

When asked how many local producers used the certification, he said “none have it”.

Addressing calls for more stringent tests, Debono stressed imports were inspected by authorities in their country of origin and tested by port authorities upon arrival in Malta.

Changing tastes and careers

Fresh By Ela founder Mariella Borg said that while most of the products she supplies are Maltese, she is forced to turn to look elsewhere when goods are out of season or cannot be sourced from the EU.

“I want to support local produce one hundred per cent, but I don’t think that’s possible,” said the distributor boss.

Asked if she thought blocking imports was a solution to the difficulties farmers say they are facing, she disagreed, stressing that consumers’ changing tastes also had to be considered.

“Ready-to-eat avocados come from Brazil – they taste amazing, but we just don’t find them in the EU,” she said, adding the increasing popularity of crops like asparagus out of their traditional growing season necessitated sourcing them from outside the EU.

‘Perfect’ vegetables and the free market

Stressing how people nowadays wanted fruit and vegetables to “have the perfect look”, Borg noted this was another reason for sometimes sourcing produce from outside the EU.

She said consumers were less keen on local produce which might not fit their idea of what a certain item should look like, something Welbee’s CEO Jonathan Shaw agrees with.

“Maybe some vegetables don’t look as good as those pumped up with pesticides,” he said, arguing for more education about local produce.

However, Shaw said the main problem with restricting goods was the opposition to the free market.

“Yes, listen to farmers’ demands, but don’t block products; that’s anti-competitive.”