Ah, the tangled web of a small insular country and its agriculture – the narrative keeps unfolding, much like a gripping saga with its twists and turns. Today, we dive into the fray once more, not to unveil groundbreaking revelations, but to echo sentiments that seem to require constant reiteration.

Let’s tackle the thorny issue of imports, shall we? Since today like many others, I’ve read this piece on the Times of Malta. Whoever claimed that Malta could thrive without imports must have been living under a rock. Imports have been the lifeblood of our nation for eons, especially as our population balloons at a dizzying pace. But here’s the rub: while imports are a necessity, flooding our markets with foreign products right after our local farmers have toiled the land is, frankly, a slap in the face. Sure, there are free trade agreements in play, but let’s call a spade a spade – it’s a double-edged sword that’s slicing into the heart of local agriculture, not just here but across the EU.

The Maltese government, bless its bureaucratic heart, has a knack for giving importers and developers the red-carpet treatment, while our farmers are left juggling bureaucratic hurdles like seasoned acrobats. Want a permit for a supermarket in a protected zone? Easy peasy – especially if the civil society is busy fighting a score of applications at the same time. But try getting approval for an agricultural store or a water reservoir as a farmer, and suddenly you’re in for a marathon of paperwork and headaches – and after all that, most likely you’ll still just give up.

Now, onto the topic of quality. Sure, we’ve got a few rotten apples in the barrel – or should I say, strawberries at the bottom of the punnet? But let’s not tar all our growers with the same brush. Many of them are already churning out top-notch produce that’s fresher and tastier than anything shipped in from afar. The problem isn’t inherent in our farmers; it’s the lack of a robust grading system. Who should be doing this? It’s not the state’s role – that’s for sure. It’s high time our farmers band together, form producer organisations, and take matters into their own hands.

Just to mention one single item that may be improved, and since the season just kicked in, let’s take strawberries as an example. Picture this: you excitedly pick up a punnet, only to find a mishmash of plump beauties at the top and sad, shrivelled excuses for berries at the bottom. Whenever this happens, it’s enough to make me see red – (excuse the pun)! And don’t get me started on the unripe ones. It’s simple science, they won’t ripen in the fridge! So yes, there are some farmers who have yet to understand basic principles. Granted.

Importers, however, have the audacity to ride on to this wave and claim that our local fare isn’t up to snuff for haute cuisine. That is quite the sweeping statement and convenient to push local farmers and breeders further down into the abyss. These importers have the gall to tout foreign produce as superior. Superior in what? Carbon footprint? Pesticide cocktail lists longer than a parent’s list for back-to-school supplies? Take avocados, for instance since these were mentioned in the article. They might be all the rage, but at what cost? The production methods alone are enough to make your eco-conscious soul shudder. We can do better. Let’s champion local fruits with benefits that outweigh their imported counterparts.

It’s high time we prioritise consumer well-being over profit margins. The quality in local products is there; it’s just a matter of getting the right certifications and aiming to improve the supply chain. And that requires the collective might of producer organisations and cooperatives – something we sorely lack. It’s not all doom and gloom though. This is already happening locally – there are farmers who are required to obtain GlobalGap certification for potatoes which are exported, many others are converting their fields and becoming organically-certified and in the past years we witnessed a couple of local entrepreneurs winning top international awards in extra virgin olive oil. This is just to mention a few best-practices. So yes, it is possible to bank on quality.

On the other hand, how can local farmers compete with foreign products when there are many producers who disregard any marketing suggestion? I’ve been saying it for many years, and before I did, many others said it too. Unless farmers realise that marketing is an intrinsic part of the job, their produce can never acquire visibility. It’s a lesson in education that’s sorely lacking.

Sure, COVID gave our farmers a much-needed kick in the pants, pushing many of them especially the younger generation towards direct sales and empowerment. But still, we’re greeted with crates of produce devoid of any branding or identity. Even worse: who’s keeping tabs on unfair competition – constantly? Food fraud lurks in the shadows, always, and unless our farmers band together, we’re fighting a losing battle.

It’s the same old song, unless farmers and breeders learn to show up and be counted – as they are rightly so doing lately – they’ll remain invisible in a sea of shiny imports. So, let’s roll up our sleeves, unite our farmers, and give our local produce the spotlight it deserves. It’s time to turn the tide, one ripe strawberry at a time.