While writing this article we are experiencing the harvest of Tomatoes for Processing, a traditional crop in the Maltese islands dating back to almost a century involving hundreds of families in its cultivation. These days the harvest is at its peak with the crop reaching Magro Brothers Processing Plant in Gozo.

The harvesting of tomatoes for processing by farmers all over Malta and Gozo accounts to approximately 11,000 tons each season. Magro Brothers process over 80% of this figure, well over 8,000 tons, in the summer weeks. In fact, due to various climate conditions, new techniques and the introduction of new crop varieties, the season of harvesting is gradually being shortened from the traditional June to October months to a few weeks between July and the beginning of September. At the peak of the harvest Magro Brothers process approximately 2,000 tons per week. Two thirds of this processing is exported by Magro Brothers to various countries around the world.

The excellent relationship existing between Magro Brothers and the farmers over the years have led to a substantial increase in yields and quality. In fact, today more farmers are investing in new techniques and combine their own creativity to keep this tradition alive in a modern world. Various methods are being invented by farmers to meet the demand of the ever increasing yields while meeting the quality standards set up by Magro Brothers to process the crop. In Malta and Gozo there are already about four or five harvesting machines being used for this purpose.

The latest of such inventions is the tomato harvesting machine, seen in the photo, devised by the Camilleri brothers, Domenic and Noel, from the small village of Ghasri, Gozo. The Camilleri’s themselves hail from this tradition of producing tomatoes for processing. They are the third generation of a family deeply committed in producing this crop. Their father, the late Joseph Camilleri, was one of the pioneers in this field. Domenic recounts how much his father was happy with his produce of approximately 25,000 kilos from his land. Today Domenic and his brother produce a staggering amount of approximately 400,000 kilos from the same area.

In his fields, just beneath the Jordan Lighthouse, while having a break from harvesting, Domenic does not fail to recount his latest invention. It all started when a colleague and friend of his, John Mercieca, himself also a dedicated farmer, came up with the idea of introducing a harvesting machine. It was flash news amongst the farming community and a great attraction when this machine passed through the streets of Malta and Gozo to its destination in Ghasri.

Instead of buying a ready made harvesting machine Domenic bought an old dodge truck having a 60 year old Perkins engine.  Using its engine and chassis he started building his own tomato machine. Various machine parts were bought from several local and Italian companies including a 40 year old blower from a silo machine. With a smile on his face, Domenic reveals that the important thing for him was to find the right machine part to combine with the other parts for the right job. He ended up with a machine whereby the tomato plant is put on a conveyor moving it to the machine where it separates the stem and leaves from the fruit. After the separation the tomatoes are sent to another conveyor belt for quality inspection and finally ending in large crates for transportation to the Magro Brothers Processing Plant. It took him just over six months to realise his project. From October to March Domenic spent night and days working on his dream with his brother helping him after work in the evenings. The 60 year old Dodge was finally transformed to a modern harvesting machine.

This week Domenic and Noel, with the help of relatives, started harvesting and in two to three weeks’ time they will harvest their crop. When still a young boy, he recalls how it used to take his father around four months to harvest maybe one twelfth of today’s produce. Before continuing with the harvesting, Domenic viewed the magnificent scenery of fields full of tomatoes and told me that it is not over yet! In his eyes you could see the zest to continue further on in keeping this tradition of tomato processing alive.