A weekly farmers’ market will be held on Saturdays in Vittoriosa, seven years after a similar one packed up its stands.
The market will be set up on Triq il-Ġublew tal-Fidda, where the city's weekly open market (monti) is located.
It will start from April 15, as part of an initiative to spread farmers' markets around Malta to bring fresh produce closer to the people.
Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo said it would create a space where farmers, villagers and agricultural producers can sell "directly to consumers at fair and just prices".
The Vittoriosa market will be open to farmers who do not currently have a stall at the popular farmers' market in Ta' Qali.
Vittoriosa local council had previously organised a weekly market for fresh produce in 2016.
However, without support from the Malta Food Agency, the local council had to stop running it within months as they were unable to keep up with the workload, a spokesperson for the Agricultural Ministry said.
The reason for its return is due to the success the Ta’ Qali farmers’ market has seen over the past 12 years, he said. That market runs on Saturdays and Tuesdays.
The minister explained that the benefits of a farmers’ market reach further than producers and consumers as they strengthen the “food chain” by ensuring that fresh and quality products make their way to the people.
“We will be spreading farmers’ markets around Malta, with Birgu as our first stop, so local products will be more accessible for Maltese and Gozitans alike,” Refalo said.
Also at the announcement, Parliamentary Secretary Alison Zerafa Civelli expressed her gratitude towards the local council for endorsing such initiatives.
“The goal of these markets is to promote sustainable agriculture, support local farmers and provide nutritious food to the community,” Zerafa Civelli said.
“So residents can put their mind at rest and also receive fresh products,” she said.
The initiative is a collaboration between the Malta Food Agency, the Agriculture Ministry, and the Birgu local council.