“Malta is in favour of the removal of tariffs on the importation of barley and maize,” said Rural Affairs and the Environment Minister George Pullicino while he was attending a meeting of the Council of Ministers of Agriculture in Brussels early this week.

Various themes were discussed during the meeting, among them the regulations about the recovery of tuna fishing, reforms in the wine sector and the increase in prices in the cereals sector and its effects.

During the meeting a proposal was presented by the European Commission which had already been made to the ministers at a previous meeting on 26 September, for the suspension of tariffs on the importation of cereals, except flour, by the end of June 2008.

The commission and the member states recognised that there were extraordinary increases in the prices of barley and maize during 2007. This has led to high increases in the price of grains for animal feed. These prices were having negative effects on competition for those who breed animals, and were leading to a substantial increase in the price of food products.

At the meeting Mr Pullicino also urged the commission to consider implementing measures to compensate for the additional transport costs incurred by countries and regions which were disadvantaged due to their geographical location.