Neglect in the administration at the Rural Affairs Ministry had led to delays in the plan for the country to have effective producer organisations, said Noel Farrugia, MLP spokesman for agriculture, fisheries and rural development.

In fact, some solutions that were promised have disappeared. They would have led to solutions to the problems affecting farmers’ earnings from their fresh produce, and their loss of market share, he said.

But the ministry accused Mr Farrugia of political opportunism and said the producer organisations had been helped considerably, both in training by Italian experts, and in being given facilities from where to operate, and equipment to use.

At the vegetable market there were two warehouses for their use. In Gozo there was an active producer organisation and three other organisations involved in tomato processing have been helped in the past and will soon be receiving more help according to EU rules.