Food Production - Plant
Malta’s agricultural sector is small and, but it is diverse. In 1999 about 5% of workers were employed in agriculture and there were about 10 square kilometers (3.9 square miles) of land under irrigation. Unfortunately, in the past decade, farming-related activity has declined annually, although there are several initiatives underway to promote the strengthening of the local agricultural sector with an emphasis on organic farming.
In Malta, most farms are small and privately owned. The farms, made of small fields, consist usually of strips of soil between rocks and are characterised to a large extent by terracing. Most of the crops and foodstuffs produced are consumed domestically. Nearly half of the cultivated land is used for fodder crops; also slightly less than half for vegetables and most of the remainder for vines and fruit trees. The main crops are potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, tomatoes, citrus and green peppers. Potatoes are by far the main crop and are also exported to European markets.
The Maltese climate enables two crops to be grown each year in dry-land farming. About 8% of Malta’s cultivated land is irrigated, either from groundwater, or by treated wastewater from reservoirs around the Sant’ Antnin Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Click below to learn more about the production of different vegetables, fruits, cereals and pulses, as well as how produce is distributed in Malta and Gozo. You can also read more on EU legislation and goals related to agricultural practices, GM food and sustainable food. Read more
Agriculture has played a key role in the development of human civilisation. Until the Industrial Revolution, the vast majority of the global population worked in agriculture. Traditional farming was labour intensive and very time-consuming. The land was worked with manual hoes and ploughs, sometimes with the aid of animals. Drawing up water from artesian wells and storage reservoirs was carried out with the help of animals or natural phenomena, such as the wind or gravity, whilst irrigating crops was done manually. Harvesting was a back-breaking task, where farmers and workers spent unending hours crouched down to harvest the grain or hand pick the crop. Read more
With the rapid rise of mechanisation in the late 19th and 20th centuries, particularly in the form of the tractor, farming tasks could be done with a speed and on a scale previously impossible. These advances have led to efficiencies enabling certain farms in countries like the United States, Argentina, Israel, Germany, and a few other nations to output volumes of high quality produce per land unit at what may be the practical limit. Read more
Integrated Farm Management (IFM) combines traditional farming methods with modern technology, allowing farmers to manage their farms in an informed, professional and caring way. IFM balances responsible resource management, animal welfare, care of the countryside and economic viability for the benefit of all. This method of farm management ensures the highest standards of food production with the minimum environmental impact. Read more
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are organisms whose genetic material has been altered by genetic engineering techniques to produce organisms which are different to those that occur naturally.
The organism may be modified in a laboratory setting to produce an organism with the desired characteristics. The manipulation of genes in a lab is referred to as Genetic Engineering of Recombinant Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) Technology. Read more
Organic refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. It includes a system of production, processing, distribution and sales that assures consumers that the products maintain the organic integrity that begins on the farm.
Organic foods are produced according to certain standards. For crops, it means they were grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilisers, human waste, or sewage sludge, and that they are processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. For animals, it means they are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones.
For a list of locally certified organic producers (or those who are currently converting to organic) click here. Read more
Vertical or sky farming is the production of food in urban high-rises. These buildings have also been called ‘farmscrapers.’ Using recycled resources and greenhouse methods like hydroponics, these vertical farming can produce fruit, vegetables, edible mushrooms and algae in cities all year round. Read more
