ADDRESS BY THE HON. NINU ZAMMIT, MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, ON THE OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL INAUGURATION BY THE HON. EDDIE FENECH ADAMI, PRIME MINISTER, OF THE NEW PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTRE, LIJA

It gives me a certain satisfaction to be here today to participate in the official inauguration of this new plant bio-technology centre in the building known as Tal-Kmand, a name owing its origin to the time when it housed the British Lieutenant Governor.

This building has, as from the early seventeenth century, been in some way a centre of assistance to plant growth. As way back as 1625, Grand Master de Paule used this site as a reservoir for water to irrigate the gardens of Sant' Anton in the dry summer months. Time has passed and from being a nursery run by the Department of Agriculture in the 1960's, the centre developed into the field of micro-propagation, assisting the reproduction of certain species through the construction and use of a laboratory for tissue culture of plants.

Subsequently, this developed into the concept of an advanced centre of excellence in the area of Plant Biotechnology. With the financial and technical assistance of the Italian Government, through the Instituto Agronomico del Mediterraneo(CIHEAM) of Bari, the project was initiated. Over a period of over four years, and following the investment of over a million Maltese Liri, a new molecular biology laboratory, a state-of-the-art acclimatised glasshouse, a thermotherapy chamber, a shade house and various screen houses for quarantined, infected and healthy plants, were built. Complementary to the erection of these structures, staff training took place both at the Bari institute, and locally, through the regular visits by Italian experts to the centre. The necessary infrastructural works were completed by the Department of Agriculture with the support and cooperation of the Works Division.

That is the brief history that has brought us to today's event, the successful culmination of years of work and activity. Historia in its original Greek sense means a chronicle of events with a beginning, a middle and an end. We are here today, as Shakespeare wrote, "to perform an act whereof what's past is prologue". Today is not the end but just the beginning.

We cannot rest on our laurels being happy with having managed to create this new Plant Biotechnology Centre. With this achievement we have given ourselves

a tool that is vital in the set-up necessary for our country to come in line with the modern day requirements for plant health monitoring and control. We are looking at a Centre that will fit in as part of the capability of the Ministry to be able to tackle the challenges of the future.

The way forward is the careful integration and infusion of science and learning into the traditional practice of agriculture. This centre has already proved its worth in the propagation of certain species of plants in both the agricultural and the environmental arenas. It must now also serve to propagate newly acquired knowledge among our growers, passing on for their implementation, the fruits of the careful studies and research that will be taking place here.

Modernisation, efficiency and competitiveness are not just the buzz-words of today. In the sector of agriculture, they are realities that we need to aim for in order to face the future and to conform to the dictata of a changing world situation. Our obligations to international organisations such as the World Trade Organisation mean that we are looking towards the dismantling of all barriers to free trade. For our agriculture to maintain its sustainibility, we must keep up to date with, if not a step ahead of, technological developments in the field.

The ground breaking initiative that we are celebrating today is just one of the many steps that we need to take in this direction.

Before concluding, I take the opportunity to thank the Director of CIHEAM, Prof. Salvino Busuttil for his dedication and worthy representation.

I thank also the Director of the Bari Institute for Mediterranean Agronomic Studies, Professore Cosimo Lacirignola for his constant attention and guidance, and Dr Biagio di Terlizzi, for the scientific expertise so untiringly made available to our staff.

A special word of thanks to the Italian Ambassador, His Excellency Giancarlo Riccio, who was regrettably unable to join us this evening, for the assistance provided by the Italian Government.

And finally, allow me to congratulate and thank those who worked to ensure the successful completion of this project, all the workers of the Department of Agriculture, without whose unstinting efforts and sacrifice, the dream might not have become reality.

Thank You