A future Nationalist government would be determined to ensure the agricultural sector of Malta and Gozo continues to develop and remain competitive, Prime Minister and PN leader Lawrence Gonzi told farmers during a visit to Zebbiegh yesterday morning.

To this end, he said, a substantial amount of EU funds are to be dedicated to the sector, while a future PN government would also commit itself to offering more assistance to farmers towards producing high quality products.

The agricultural sector was crucial to the country, he said, observing that many families depended on the sector for their livelihood.

Dr Gonzi was given a warm welcome yesterday morning on the outskirts of Mgarr, where he was taken around fields and greenhouses and sampled fresh produce.

Remarking on the fact that farmers today are equipped with specialised technology for the sector, he added how the local product was the best on the market in terms of both quality and freshness.

He added how the government recognised the important role of farmers when it came to the protection of the environment, with the two being inextricably linked, and observed how the PN was the only party promising to invest e300m in the environment in the next legislature.

The Prime Minister’s other commitment of the day was a meeting with young people in Nadur late yesterday evening.