12
J. Zahra and M. C. Mifsud
Due to the dependence on mainly groundwater, the Maltese Islands experience water
scarcity, especially in harsh Summer months, where the demand on water increases
drastically. Some farmers also lamented about the fact that overconstruction on the
Islands is also leading to a decrease in groundwater.
Farmer 2 Buildings and roads are both a threat. These large concrete roads. As
water is not percolating through the rocks, it runs off. When we talk about table
water, there are many who say that farmers are using the table water. But before,
rain water had permeable surfaces to pass through, for example in valleys where a
lot of water collects, water seeps slowly through. But nowadays if you have roads,
or ceilings, water runs off and ends up being lost at sea, as we are not collecting such
water. So, that is one thing against agriculture, as you must water the fields, just as
we have to eat and drink.
Another prominent issue related to the agricultural industry and farming, is the
level of nitrates present in groundwater. To limit the level of nitrates, present in water,
solid manure must be stored between the 15th of October until the 15th of March.
During the remaining period, the dry season, farmers can apply organic matter and
fertilizers to their fields. All the farmers interviewed were aware of this Nitrates
Action Programme and the time frame they are allowed to fertilize their fields.
In order to minimise the pressure on groundwater by the agricultural sector, the
treatment of waste water in Malta is being implemented. This has not only led to
an improvement in sea water quality, but also led to the production of Class A
Secondary Water. This New Water is being offered to farmers in various localities
across Malta and can be used for irrigation purposes. This is aimed to reduce the
uptake of groundwater through boreholes.
4.3 Indigenous Farming Knowledge
A few of the farmers, especially the elderly farmers, remember a lot of different
farming practices which were used in the past but are no longer in use nowadays.
Most of the methods used in the past have now been replaced by machinery or other
methods which make life easier for the farmers. Farmers spoke about how not all
fields were irrigated, as some of the fields had no access to groundwater.
There are two types of fields, which in Maltese are called bagèli and saqwi.
Bagèli is dry-land, meaning it is not irrigated, is only watered when it rains. Saqwi on
the other hand means irrigated, through groundwater resources. As one may expect,
nowadays the number of non-irrigated fields have decreased drastically and basically
the majority of fields are irrigated through different means, increasing the production
of crops. Farmers also spoke about changing irrigation practices throughout the past
years. The improvements in irrigation practices led to less water being lost as farmers
use the appropriate amount necessary for the plant.
J. Zahra and M. C. Mifsud
Due to the dependence on mainly groundwater, the Maltese Islands experience water
scarcity, especially in harsh Summer months, where the demand on water increases
drastically. Some farmers also lamented about the fact that overconstruction on the
Islands is also leading to a decrease in groundwater.
Farmer 2 Buildings and roads are both a threat. These large concrete roads. As
water is not percolating through the rocks, it runs off. When we talk about table
water, there are many who say that farmers are using the table water. But before,
rain water had permeable surfaces to pass through, for example in valleys where a
lot of water collects, water seeps slowly through. But nowadays if you have roads,
or ceilings, water runs off and ends up being lost at sea, as we are not collecting such
water. So, that is one thing against agriculture, as you must water the fields, just as
we have to eat and drink.
Another prominent issue related to the agricultural industry and farming, is the
level of nitrates present in groundwater. To limit the level of nitrates, present in water,
solid manure must be stored between the 15th of October until the 15th of March.
During the remaining period, the dry season, farmers can apply organic matter and
fertilizers to their fields. All the farmers interviewed were aware of this Nitrates
Action Programme and the time frame they are allowed to fertilize their fields.
In order to minimise the pressure on groundwater by the agricultural sector, the
treatment of waste water in Malta is being implemented. This has not only led to
an improvement in sea water quality, but also led to the production of Class A
Secondary Water. This New Water is being offered to farmers in various localities
across Malta and can be used for irrigation purposes. This is aimed to reduce the
uptake of groundwater through boreholes.
4.3 Indigenous Farming Knowledge
A few of the farmers, especially the elderly farmers, remember a lot of different
farming practices which were used in the past but are no longer in use nowadays.
Most of the methods used in the past have now been replaced by machinery or other
methods which make life easier for the farmers. Farmers spoke about how not all
fields were irrigated, as some of the fields had no access to groundwater.
There are two types of fields, which in Maltese are called bagèli and saqwi.
Bagèli is dry-land, meaning it is not irrigated, is only watered when it rains. Saqwi on
the other hand means irrigated, through groundwater resources. As one may expect,
nowadays the number of non-irrigated fields have decreased drastically and basically
the majority of fields are irrigated through different means, increasing the production
of crops. Farmers also spoke about changing irrigation practices throughout the past
years. The improvements in irrigation practices led to less water being lost as farmers
use the appropriate amount necessary for the plant.