The total amount of fresh fruit and vegetables passing through the markets has fallen by 1.4 million kilogrammes (-3 per cent), from 44.5 million kilogrammes in 2004 to 43.2 million kilogrammes in 2005. The wholesale value of fresh fruit and vegetables for 2005 remained practically unchanged and the total amount was lower mainly as a result of a drop in the availability of potatoes.

In the last quarter of 2005, 8.1 million kilogrammes of fresh fruit and vegetables passed through organised markets. Compared to the same quarter in 2004, this represented a decline of 0.3 million kilogrammes (-3.9 per cent). The availability of fresh fruit and vegetables declined due to the significant fall in the supply of potatoes.

Similarly, the wholesale value of fresh fruit and vegetables fell by Lm0.09 million (-5.9 per cent), from Lm1.38 million in the fourth quarter of 2004 to Lm1.30 million in the fourth quarter of 2005.

During the fourth quarter of 2005, Maltese farmers marketed 7.1 million kilogrammes of fresh produce, or 88.1 per cent of the total marketed production. Compared to the same period in 2004, the volume of fresh fruit and vegetables was down marginally by 1.4 per cent, from 7.2 million kilogrammes. The wholesale value of this produce fell from Lm1.14 million in the fourth quarter of 2004 to Lm1.10 million in the fourth quarter of 2005, representing a decline of four per cent.

In 2005, Maltese farmers supplied a total of 36.8 million kilogrammes of fresh fruit and vegetables, down slightly by 0.9 per cent over 2004. On the other hand, the wholesale value of fresh fruit and vegetables rose by 3.7 per cent, from Lm5.9 million in 2004 to Lm6.1 million in 2005.

During the last quarter of 2005, the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables at organised markets from Gozitan farmers fell by 19.2 per cent to one million kilogrammes, compared with 1.2 million kilogrammes in the fourth quarter of 2004.

Similarly, the wholesale value of marketed fresh fruit and vegetables declined by 15.6 per cent, from Lm0.24 million in the fourth quarter of 2004 to Lm0.20 million over the same period in 2005.

In 2005, the supply and wholesale value of both fresh fruit and vegetables declined by 13.6 per cent and 16.4 per cent respectively compared with 2004.