Updated 7pm with government reaction
The government is trying to discourage farmers from attending a protest planned for Friday, with organisers backing up claims made public by the Nationalist Party.
News broke on Thursday that farmers plan to take to the streets in protest of EU policies which they say will threaten their livelihoods.
Farming cooperatives and unions have led protests against these policies all over Europe in recent days, particularly in France where protestors have blocked all the major routes into Paris and dumped manure across the French capital.
However, as word of the protest began to spread, some farmers reported being called up by officials from the Agriculture Ministry who tried to persuade them not to attend.
PN MEP candidate Peter Agius said on Thursday he was approached by four farmers who told him they were discouraged from participating in the protest.
Protest organisers confirmed with Times of Malta members told them they were being pressured to forgo protesting on Friday.
Agius condemned Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo for trying to intimidate farmers into not protesting instead of listening to their concerns in earnest.
“Instead of discouraging farmers from speaking up, we should be seeing how we can change things to help their work be more appreciated,” he said.
“It is in the interest of all families to have local produce available and not rely solely on imported products.”
In a statement, the PN said the government should shift its focus to being an effective aid to farmers instead of trying to shut them up and prevent them from exercising their fundamental right to protest.
“It is shameful that in light of the problems and difficulties faced by farmers, instead of being a shoulder to lean on, the government is trying to silence them,” Shadow Minister Tony Bezzina said.
“This attitude is unbecoming for the Maltese Government, especially at a time when this sector is threatened by diverse markets, not only from overseas but even outside the European Union.”
The PN, Bezzina continued, is calling for responsible leadership and for the government to strengthen its relationship with this industry instead of creating obstacles for the sector.
Reacting to PN's allegations, the government noted that the farmers' planned demonstration will be protesting the European parliament and institutions that are "Cut off from reality".
"On the other hand, the Maltese government has always been close to the sector, with brave reforms such as the one regulating the leasing of fields," the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement.
The government said the PN was spreading a lie about the ministry.