MALTESE AGRICULTURE

Daniel Paul SantForm 3.01

Farming is one of the most ancient occupations in the Maltese islands. The Maltese farmer cultivates different types of produce such as; potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, lettuce, artichokes, peas, cauliflower, clover and other produce. They also grow various types of fruit such as; strawberries, watermelons, melons, tomatoes, prickly pears, grapes, citrus fruits and other fruit. These are then sold locally either in supermarkets, fruit and vegetable vendors or at the farmer’s market in Ta’ Qali. Some produce like onions and potatoes are exported to England and Holland.

In the north of Malta there are some areas where the soil is very fertile, these are the Pwales Valley, Burmarrad, Siggiewi, Mellieha, Rabat and Mgarr, and in Gozo there is more fertile farming land especially in the Lunzjata Valley. These areas are sheltered from strong winds that damage the crops and also there is water to irrigate the crops especially in summer during the dry season.

Pwales Valley

Burmarrad Mgarr Lunzjata Valley Gozo

In Malta and Gozo one can see various fields with rubble walls surrounding them. The various shapes and sizes of the stones used to build these walls are found in the area lying on the ground or in the soil. Rubble walls are used to serve as borders between the property of one farm from the other. A great advantage that rubble walls offer is that when heavy rain falls, their structure would allow excessive water to pass through and therefore excess water will not ruin the products. Soil erosion is minimized as the wall structure allows the water to pass through but it traps the soil and prevents it from being carried away from the field. One can see many rubble walls on the side of the hills and in valleys where the land slopes down and consequently the soil is in greater danger of being carried away.

RUBBLE WALLS

Different crops grow in different types of soil, for example dry land crops like onions, potatoes, peas, wheat, beans, barley and clover grow in fields where water is scarce. These are usually watered only when the rain falls that is why they grow them because they need little water to grow. Whereas tomatoes, pumpkins, fruit, cabbages and eggplants grow in fertile soil where water is abundant. The rainwater is stored in reservoirs or wells. Water can also come from underground sources and then it is pumped up from boreholes by wind powered windmills or electric pumps.

The Maltese farmer has to face many problems. One of the main problems he encounters is the climate. The Maltese climate is very cold and rainy in winter whilst in summer it is very hot and dry. In winter when it rains very heavily, the soil can be carried away by the water and it is lost, or else the soil get waterlogged and the products which were being cultivated rots and dies. On the contrary, in summer as it does not rain, the soil dries out and hardens, and if the farmer doesn’t have a water cistern or reservoir, to water the crops, he has to bring water bowsers. This increases the expenses for the farmer. That is why some fields in summer looks dry and barren because without water, the products cannot grow.

Another problem a farmer encounters is the strong winds that damages the crops. Apart from drying out the soil, it destroys the produce especially the young and tender shoots. It also damages fruit from trees because they fall to the ground and then most of them won’t be edible. Plastic greenhouses are torn by strong winds too. By planting trees, bushes and grasses, these act as a natural windbreaker. Hail is another major problem in winter because it destroys the leaves of the products and damages the greenhouses both the plastic and glass ones that are erected in the fields.

Farmers may not only suffer losses through droughts, floods, destructive insects, and diseases. They can also suffer losses because of rats. Occasional rodent outbreaks can lead to severe effects on the livelihoods of farmers. Rats can do damage in almost every phase of farming from munching on seedlings to destroying mature crops. Birds too can be a problem because they peck on seeds, tomatoes and grapes. The farmer has to find means to deter them by using either bird netting that can be draped over the crops so that they cannot pass through, or as birds are scared of shiny objects, tape strings which can be fastened to stakes can do the trick. This is especially helpful in windy areas where the flapping will keep the birds away. Another device that farmers use to deter birds is a bird chaser, this mechanism gives out shooting like sounds to frighten the birds.

Poor soil condition is another factor a farmer has to face, that is why they use fertilizers to enrich the soil. Common source of fertilizer is manure from livestock; primarily cows, sheep, horses and other animals that feed on grasses and grains. Farmers also use artificial fertilizers to help their crops grow strong and healthy. A major problem in crops are pests that attack the plants and weakens its strength, sometimes if the necessary steps are not taken, they can kill the whole crop. That is why the farmer has to spray pesticides to prevent this from happening.

TYPES OF INSECTS THAT RUIN CROPS AND CAUSE DISEASES

In Malta there are a few Organic Farms. This is a system of growing agricultural produce which does not make use of artificial fertilisers, pesticides and other harmful chemicals. Organic Farming is practiced by using the crop rotation method, whereby crops from the same family are not grown in the same area more than once every four years. Crops are rotated in such a way so that they help each other. Intercropping is practiced, where crops which are known to be beneficial to each other are planted together, like for example basil helps tomatoes by repelling mosquitoes, flies and hornworms; leeks help carrots and roses by repelling aphids, mites and nematodes; dill helps cabbages, lettuce, sweet corn and cucumber by repelling aphids and mites; garlic help roses and stone fruit by repelling the aphids, insects, caterpillars and mosquito larvae. Then there are crops which dislike each other, for example onions and garlic dislike legumes; sweet corn dislikes tomatoes, etc and therefore these should not be intercropped. Organic farmers need to get to know more about beneficial insects like the ladybug, bees and others. These are all predators or parasitic insects which kill the bad bugs and therefore every organic farmer must do his utmost to create the right environment for these beneficial insects to thrive. The more beneficial insects there are the less pests we have to attack the crops. Certain types of worms and centipedes also help to increase soil fertility and aerate the soil.

Erecting a greenhouse in a field has many advantages, the main one being that a farmer can grow a wide variety of crops all year round. A greenhouse will protect crops from severe

weather conditions, improving the chances of growing them successfully. The many greenhouse accessories available will enable the farmer to achieve just the right

atmosphere within his greenhouse, whatever the weather outside. Even during winter the farmer can add extra heating and lighting to create just the right atmosphere for his crops.

Adding vents will help to achieve a healthier atmosphere for crops during the warmer months, when the humidity level rises. In a greenhouse it is easier to grow organic crops

and control pests without using pesticides.

Agriculture is hard work but nowadays unlike past times there are machineries that help the farmers to lessen the burden and facilitate work. In past times farmers used animal power to plough and also to bring up water from underground. They also used to do many of the work manually.

Ploughing a field is much easier using a tractor

Before the farmers used either a mule or a pair of oxen to plough

their field

Cutting hay with a scythe

Then after farmers used to tie them into

individual bundles

Nowadays hay is cut down then rolled into bales by machinery

An irrigation timer

Irrigating fields is much easier using an irrigation timer

Another method to irrigate crops is by using a drip irrigation system

In past times, a mule was used to bring up water from the well to irrigate the fields

Nowadays there are a few full-time farmers and many part-time farmers because there are many expenses in farming. Young farmers can attend the Agricultural College to learn new farming methods and how to use new technologies to lighten the work. The Government with the help of the European Union give money to farmers to help them lighten the expenses.Farmland is getting scarce dew to intense development that is why we have to take care of the remaining farmland that is available.