Farming has been an important occupation in Malta and Gozo for centuries. Farmers cultivate a variety of crops, including potatoes, onions, fruits, and vegetables, some of which are exported. Certain areas have more fertile soil for farming. Rubble walls divide fields and help prevent soil erosion. Farmers face challenges from variable climate conditions and pests, and must find ways to irrigate crops and protect them from winds and other threats. Modern machinery now assists farmers in tasks like plowing and irrigation that were previously done by manual labor or draft animals.

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. TYPES OF INSECTS THAT RUIN CROPS AND CAUSE DISEASES

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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.