ONIONS FOR EXPORT g S.L.85.03 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 85.03
ONIONS FOR EXPORT REGULATIONS 
17th June, 1958
GOVERNMENT NOTICE 380 of 1958, as amended by Legal Notices 37
of 1968, and 37 and 42 of 1969.
Title.
Regulations.
Requirements for 
export.
2. Onions intended for export shall be sound, whole, clean,
dry, mature and free from diseases, insects and insect damage; in
addition, they shall be of a round shape typical of the variety and
free from thick necks.
Grading 
requirements.
Substituted by:
L.N. 39 of 1969.
Amended by:
L.N. 42 of 1969.
3.   O nions intended for export shall be graded as follows:
( a ) Exports to countries forming part of the European Free
Trade Association:
Grade A - Medium Size
Grade B - Large Size 
Grade A onions are those which do not pass through a
square gauge having each side four centimetres long but which pass
through a square gauge having each side seven point five
centimetres long;
Grade B onions are those which do not pass through a
square gauge having each side seven point five centimetres long.
( b ) Exports to countries forming part of the European
Economic Community:
Grade A - Medium Size
Grade B - Large Size 
Grade A onions are those which do not pass through a
square gauge having each side four centimetres or four point five
centimetres long but which pass through a square gauge having
each side six centimetres or six point five centimetres long
respectively;
Grade B onions are those which do not pass through a
square gauge having each side six centimetres or six point five
centimetres long, but which pass through a square gauge having
each side eight centimetres or eight point five centimetres long
respectively.
( c ) Exports to any country:
Grade C - Small Size
Grade C onions are those which do not pass through a
square gauge having each side three point two centimetres long, but
which pass through a square gauge having each side four
centimetres long.
2 g S.L.85.03 ONIONS FOR EXPORT
Permission of 
Director of 
Agriculture to 
export. 
4. No grade C onions shall be exported without the special
permission of the Director of Agriculture who may give such
permission in special cases where it is shown to his satisfaction that
the buyer or consignee wishes to receive grade C onions to meet the
requirements of a special trade or of a special demand.
Varieties to be 
packed in different 
containers.
5. Onions of different varieties shall not be packed in any one
container.
Onions to be 
packed in standard 
containers.
6. Onions shall be packed for export in standard containers
which shall be new, each capable of containing one half of a
hundredweight of onions, sufficiently strong to warrant arrival to
their destination in a sound condition and so made as to permit
adequate ventilation of the onions.
Marking of 
containers.
7. (1) Before the inspections provided for in these
Regulations, every container shall be marked on the outside in
indelible and easily visible characters with:
(i) the words "MALTA PRODUCE";
(ii) the official number of the broker;
(iii) the word "ONIONS";
(iv) a design representing the Maltese Cross; and
(v) the name and/or mark of the exporter.
(2) Moreover, each container of grade B and grade C onions
shall be marked by tying thereto a piece of ribbon not less than
twenty-three centimetres long and coloured red and blue
respectively. No ribbon shall be tied to containers of grade A
onions. A label supplied by the Department of Agriculture has to be
attached by the exporters to each container classifying the grade.
(3) The ribbons shall be obtained from the Department of
Agriculture at cost price.
(4) Every consignment of onions shall be examined by an
inspector of the Department of Agriculture before shipment.
(5) The inspector may, at his discretion, examine all or any
one or more of the containers in any consignment and the contents
thereof: 
Provided that before he refuses to issue an export licence in
respect of any consignment, he must inspect not less than ten  per
centum  thereof.
Consignment to be 
re-inspected if not 
shipped within one 
week.
8. Any consignment approved for export shall be liable to a
new inspection if not shipped within one week of the previous
inspection.
Application for 
inspection.
9. Applications for inspection shall be made to an inspector
or to the Director of Agriculture at least twenty-four hours before
shipment: 
Provided that applications may also be made within the
said period of twenty-four hours, but in this case the Department of
Agriculture shall not be under any obligation to make the
inspection within the required time.
ONIONS FOR EXPORT g S.L.85.03 3
Application for 
inspection to 
specify, name of 
exporter, etc.
10. Every application for inspection shall specify the name of
the exporter, the number of the containers and the description of
their contents, and the destination of the consignment.
Consideration of 
application.
11. No application for inspection shall be considered unless
the onions duly packed in the containers are exhibited in the Potato
Export Control Warehouse or in some other place approved for the
purpose by the Director of Agriculture.
Inspection to cease 
half an hour before 
sunset.
12. Inspections shall cease half an hour before sunset, unless
otherwise authorised by the Director of Agriculture.
Fee.
the consignment shall be charged for the inspection: 
Provided that the fee in respect of the inspection of any one
consignment shall not be less than twelve cents and five mils. If a
consignment which is refused for export is subsequently re-
submitted for inspection after re-sorting and/or re-grading the fee
charged for each such subsequent inspection shall be the same as
and shall be additional to that of the initial one.
Issue of licence if 
goods found to be 
fit for export.
14. If a consignment when inspected is found to conform in all
respects with these Regulations and to be fit for export, the
Director of Agriculture shall issue a licence to that effect; such
licence may also be issued by the Controller of Agricultural
Marketing.
Further fee if 
sealing of bags is 
required.
15. Whenever the sealing of containers is required, a further
fee of two mills shall be charged for every seal used.
Different 
classifications.
16. To meet the requirements of any particular trade or of any
special demand the Director of Agriculture may permit the export
of onions which are classified, graded, packed and marked
otherwise than in the manner specified in these Regulations.
Public weigher to 
register weight of 
every 
consignment.
17. (1) The public weigher who weighs onions for export shall
register the weight of every consignment in a serially numbered
book, obtainable from the Department of Agriculture at cost price.
Such books shall be made up of a foil and triplicate counterfoils;
the counterfoil copies of each note of weight shall be delivered on
request to the seller, the purchaser and the broker, if any; the public
weigher shall keep the original. 
(2) Every note of weight shall show:
(i) the name and address of the seller;
(ii) the name and address or official number of the
broker, if any; 
(iii) the name and address, or business name of the
purchaser;
(iv) the number and nature of the packages in any
consignment;
(v) the weight of the consignment;
(vi) the date of weighing;
(vii) the net price per  qantar  as stated by the grower;
and
4 g S.L.85.03 ONIONS FOR EXPORT
(viii) the weigher’s signature.
Book to be 
returned to the 
Department of 
Agriculture.
18. Every such book, with all the foils and the remaining
counterfoils, shall be returned to the Department of Agriculture
before the end of August of each year.
Board of 
Reference.
Amended by:
L.N. 37 of 1968.
Cap. 85.
19. The Board of Reference referred to in article 18 of the
Agricultural Produce (Export) Ordinance shall be composed of the
Director of Agriculture or an officer of the Department of
Agriculture acting on his behalf as Chairman and two members to
be chosen from a panel of ten persons engaged in the agricultural
produce export trade. The panel shall be nominated by the Minister
responsible for Agriculture before the beginning of each export
season. On each Board of Reference one of the panel members shall
be selected by the complainant and one by the chairman. No panel
member shall sit on  the  Board in connection with any produce in
which he has an interest.
Fee per package to 
be deposited with 
inspector.
20. A fee at the rate of five cents per package shall be
deposited with the inspector by the exporter requiring reference to
a Board of Reference, provided that the minimum fee in this
connection shall be three liri.
