10
J. Zahra and M. C. Mifsud
Fig. 1 Map of Malta showing regions (NSO 2017)
4.1 Challenges in Farming
From all the interviews carried out with full-time farmers, various issues emerged
which farmers considered as challenging. The most prevalent challenges faced by
farmers which were mentioned by practically all of the farmers interviewed included:
long hours of work without rest on Sundays; changing weather patterns and storms
which destroy their crops; small land parcels; competition from abroad and the quantity of imported produce; the ever increasing diseases and pests coming along with
imported produce; and, the local system of auctioning local produce at the Pitkali
markets. Evidence of such challenges are such statements:
Farmer 1 Farmers do not have specific working hours, it is hard work, and you risk
having all your produce taken away by storms. One day you have crops in your field,
and the next everything may be taken away by storms.
Farmer 2 Produce imported from abroad impacted us very negatively because many
pests and diseases came along with it. For example the white fly and the red spider
did not exist in Malta before. All of these came because of the produce from abroad.
J. Zahra and M. C. Mifsud
Fig. 1 Map of Malta showing regions (NSO 2017)
4.1 Challenges in Farming
From all the interviews carried out with full-time farmers, various issues emerged
which farmers considered as challenging. The most prevalent challenges faced by
farmers which were mentioned by practically all of the farmers interviewed included:
long hours of work without rest on Sundays; changing weather patterns and storms
which destroy their crops; small land parcels; competition from abroad and the quantity of imported produce; the ever increasing diseases and pests coming along with
imported produce; and, the local system of auctioning local produce at the Pitkali
markets. Evidence of such challenges are such statements:
Farmer 1 Farmers do not have specific working hours, it is hard work, and you risk
having all your produce taken away by storms. One day you have crops in your field,
and the next everything may be taken away by storms.
Farmer 2 Produce imported from abroad impacted us very negatively because many
pests and diseases came along with it. For example the white fly and the red spider
did not exist in Malta before. All of these came because of the produce from abroad.