The Labour plan aims to ensure the sustainability of the sector, with enough revenue to ensure the livelihood of the farmers’, producers’ and fishermen’s families, to protect the jobs of people employed in agro-industry and to create new jobs and rural development.

Dr Sant added that what the party had warned before the election is now happening: people in the sector are suffering as a result of EU membership. However the party believes that with a Labour government these same people can begin the road to success.

A year ago subsidies amounted to 3.5 per cent of the farmers’ revenue: today they amount to 14 per cent: thus they have become more dependent on subsidies, not less. Subsidies however offer no guarantee to farmers: they only increase the bureaucracy and farmers are even being paid to leave their fields fallow.

Nor has EU membership opened any doors to Maltese agriculture exports: on the contrary the country has been flooded by cheaper EU products. The farmers must learn to use the EU structures to get protection so that competition is fair and just.

Besides, the farmers must also enjoy security of their land lease: they must be given the assurance that the land they till will remain theirs for the next 20 years.