Labour accuses government of discrimination on pig farmers

“It is shameful for all those who are responsible who do not give equal opportunities to all rearers,” he saidin a statement issued this afternoon.

Sammut explained that while certain rearers were being given the possibility of taking for slaughter in time, “others are taking their pigs for slaughter more frequently, thus slaughtering pigs of very young age,” Sammut said.

“As a result of this discrimination, a number of rearers who are not in a select circle, end up with their animals on stand by, leading to an increase in their weight. And this means that rearers earn a much smaller price,” he said.

Sammut insisted that other rearers “not only are killing their herd on time, but are also renting farms of third parties and manage also to slaughter this herd too, as against other farmers”.

“The Gonzi government has the duty to see and investigate this discriminatory behaviour,” Labour’s main spokesperson on agriculture and fisheries has warned.

If the government continued not to give heed to the cry of these discriminated farmers, “there would be no other doubt to conclude that Gonzi PN is an accomplice in this discrimination which is killing a number of rearers who have invested as well as the entire industry,” Sammut concluded.