Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono persists in uttering half-truths in her desperate campaign to fool her Gozitan constituents.

In a recent media release (TMID, 16 August), she bragged vainly about the progress registered in the agricultural sector in Gozo, simply because in the first six months of this year the volume of fruit and vegetables sold through organised markets went up to 2,350 tonnes, which is 13 per cent more than the volume sold during the same period last year.

That is all true. It is, however, only part of the truth.

The minister applauded herself, her government and Malta’s membership of the European Union for this

success.

In truth, in Europe with Lawrence Gonzi as Prime Minister and Giovanna Debono as Minister, Gozo has experienced severe setbacks in its agricultural sector.

Indeed, data issued by the National Statistics Office on the sale of fruit and vegetables grown in Gozo shows that the first six months of 2006 were the worst months for years.

So the minister conveniently but misleadingly compared the current year’s sales with those of last year.

Table 1 gives the quantity and value of fruit and vegetables sales for the first six months of the past five years and exposes the minister’s unscrupulous attempt to fool the people.

The precarious situation in which Gozitan producers of fruit and vegetables have found themselves since 2004 is even clearer if we take the annual sales for the years 2003 to 2006.

Table 2 shows that in 2006, Gozitan growers of fruit and vegetables sold 2,225 tonnes less than they sold in 2003 and earned Lm435,000 less than they earned in 2003.

The above gives the lie to the minister’s boast.

However, the pity of it all is that various other sub-sectors of agriculture have fared badly since 2003.

The following are some examples:

• Poultry production has fallen from 2,507 tonnes in 2003 to 888 tonnes in 2005.

• The production of fresh eggs has fallen from 11.5 million in 2003 to 9.6 million in 2005.

• The sheep population has fallen from 5,247 in 2003 to 4,095 in 2006.

• The goat population has fallen from 1,617 in 2003 to 1,345 in 2006.

• The pig population has fallen from 5,045 in 2003 to 4,623 in 2006.

There is indeed more concrete proof that agriculture and fisheries are facing serious problems. Their gross value added in basic prices has fallen from Lm6,815,000 in 2003 to Lm6,203,000 in 2004 and to Lm6,289,000 in 2005, a substantial loss of Lm1,138,000 in two years.

This is yet further confirm-ation that the government is just following a policy of drift for Gozo and of chicanery for the Gozitans.

The Gozo abattoir is a perfect example of this policy.

On the very first day of Malta’s membership of the European Union – 1 May 2004 – the government had to close down the Gozo abattoir as it did not conform to EU directives. In the four years prior to accession, the government had failed to upgrade the abattoir. Today, more than three years after accession, the necessary upgrading has still not been carried out, and breeders still have to take their livestock to Malta to be slaughtered.

Dr Anton Refalo MP, LLD Opposition spokesman

for Gozo