Muscat calls for clear policies on agri-tourism and agri-industry

Labour leader Joseph Muscat this afternoon called for policies on agritourism and agri-industry saying that Gozo had much to offer in terms of sustainable tourism.

"Gozo attracts tourists for its landscape, for the good food it offers and for the hiking treks it offers. The input from such tourist niches is in fact higher than average," he said.

Muscat said that agriculture, even though it didn't offer a strong contribution in terms of GDP, still had a lot to offer.

"Agriculture is important not only for the economy but also for the environment. But it needs government to help it give the push it needs to prosper," he said, adding that Labour's roadmap for the agricultural sector embraced these challenges.

Muscat also said that a Labour government would be prepared for the expiry of the Special Market Policy Programme for Maltese agriculture, which Malta negotiated, with the EU.

He said that a future government would have to see whether this programme could be extended and what are the transitory periods available.

Muscat also said there must be a modal shift in attitude where farmers become part of the chain even in the processing of food: from the cultivation to when it reaches the consumer's table.

He also said there were issues where a product was not benefitting from funds because it neither qualified as an agricultural produce nor did it fall under other schemes.