Hundreds of farmers who yesterday made it to Ta’ Qali to sell their produce to pitkala traders found the place deserted and had to sell their own harvest.

To the farmers’ surprise, pitkala – who act as the middlemen between them and the sellers – went on strike on one of the busiest days at the Pitkalija.

According to the government, the pitkala are in dispute with the Rural Affairs Ministry over reform of the vegetable market.

They want higher commissions and do not agree with the government’s decision to include farmers as shareholders in a company to run the market.

In the meantime, farmers got stuck in the tug-of-war between the government and the pitkala.

“We are victims of the dispute between the government and middlemen. No one informed us they would go on strike, and our produce would have gone to waste if we had not set up stall and sold it,” said one farmer, who managed to sell all his 250 crates.

“Harvested crops, especially strawberry and lettuce, rot quickly and that’s why I immediately called my wife and son to help me sell my products there and then,” he added.

Louis Naudi, from the Assocjazzjoni tal-Bdiewa, said 800 to 1,000 farmers ended up having to set up stall and sell their produce at the vegetable market.

He said the association and civil workers on site helped coordinate this “unprecedented situation”.

“The farmers are hugely disappointed. The pitkala strike was a slap in the face, because they knew that a lot of farmers would turn up at the market today,” Mr Naudi said.

He said that although most managed to sell their harvest by noon, others still have produce locked up in the pitkala stores.

This produce, taken to the stores on Wednesday evening – in agreement with the pitkala themselves – would go to waste.

“Pitkala have unjustly let down the people who trusted them,” Mr Naudi said.

Another farmer, who contacted the pitkala on Wednesday evening and was given the all-clear, said farmers were usually given a three-day warning about market closures.

The government has warned the pitkala that unless they return to work on Monday, it will take action to ensure farmers were able to sell their produce directly in an organised manner.

The Resources Ministry deplored the strike and said intensive discussions were going on with all Pitkalija stakeholders, and a meeting had been held with the pitkala on Wednesday evening.

Attempts to contact the pitkala were unsuccessful.