Plataforma de conocimientos sobre agricultura familiar

Family farming plays a crucial role in the local agricultural sector. In 2010 family labor accounted for over 90% of the volume of work carried out in agriculture[1] .As a consequence any statistics for the agricultural sector in Malta may be directly associated with family farming. The Farm Structure Survey (FSS) 2010 for Malta provides information on the structural characteristics of the agricultural holdings (land use, livestock and labor force). In 2010 [2] there were 12,530 agricultural holdings in Malta. The utilized agricultural area (UAA) represented 36.2% of the whole territory and it covered 11,450 hectares. The average size of the agricultural holdings was 0.9 hectares. A total of 42,910 livestock units (LSU) were recorded. The number of persons working in agriculture was 18,500. 

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Family farming plays a crucial role in the local agricultural sector. In 2010 family labour accounted for over 90% of the volume of work carried out in agriculture.  As a consequence any statistics for the agricultural sector in Malta may be directly associated with family farming. 

Table 1

Family labour force

Regular non-family labour force

Family labour force

Regular non-family labour force

Non-family non-regular labour force

Labour force directly employed by the holding

1000 persons

1000 annual work units

17.6

0.9

4.4

0.4

0.0

4.9

The economic size of all the Maltese agricultural holdings was Eur 95.9 million. Following the above consideration, the output from family farming in 2010 is estimated to be euro 86.3 million.

Table 2

 

2010

Number of holdings

12,530

Total UAA (ha)

11,450

Livestock (LSU)

42,910

Number of persons working on farms (regular labour force)

18,500

Average area per holding (ha)

0.9

UAA per inhabitant (ha/person)

0.03

Table 3

Standard output

Standard output of holding in 2010

Total

95,890,130

0-<2,000

3,165,720

2,000-<4,000

3,544500

4,000-<8,000

6,820,550

8,000-<15,000

8,228,560

15,000-<25,000

7,924,920

25,000-<50,000

12,092,340

50,000-<100,000

13,081,670

100,000-<250,000

20,965,630

250,000-<500,000

14,956,570

>=500,000

5,109,670


Holdings with an economic size of more than Eur100,000 represented 43% of the total standard output of the Maltese agricultural holdings.
During 2010 the most common holdings were those which specialized in general cropping. According to the Agricultural census 2010, they represent about 31% of the total number of holdings. Agricultural holdings classified as specialist in outdoor horticulture accounted for 11%. Farms specialized in sheep, goats and other grazing livestock represented 8% of the total. Farms dedicated to mixed cropping represented 7%. All the remaining types of farms accounted for the 18% of the total number of holdings.


According to the FSS 2010 89% of holdings had less than 2 hectares of UAA while the remaining 11% did not exceed 10 hectares of UAA. Moreover, 81% of the UAA of the whole country belonged to agricultural holdings with less than 5 hectares of UAA; the remaining 19% was covered by holdings which did not exceed the size of 30 hectares.
Table 4 below provides detail of the land use of UAA.

Table 4

 

Ha

% of UAA

Utilised agricultural area

11,450

100.0

Arable land

9080

79.3

Potatoes                                                        

700

6.1

Fresh vegetables, melons, strawberries        

1730

15.1

Flowers and ornamental plants (total)          

30

0.3

Fodder crops                                                 

5550

48.5

Seeds and seedlings                                      

50

0.4

Fallow land – total                                        

1010

8.8

Kitchen gardens                                            

1120

9.8

 Permanent crops       

1250

10.9

Fruit and berry plantations                           

370

3.2

Citrus plantations                                         

110

1.0

Olive plantations                                          

140

1.2

Vineyards                                                      

610

5.3

Nurseries

10

0.1


Table 5 provides a breakdown of the number of holdings with livestock by LSU size class.

Table 5

Livestock units (LSU) size classes

Number of holdings

Livestock

 

 

Total

Cattle

Sheep

Goat

Pigs

Poultry

Other

 

 

LSU

Total

2740

42190

11780

1190

440

17450

10440

1610

0

80

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

>0-<5

2160

2140

100

610

190

0

280

960

5-<10

130

920

210

230

90

30

90

270

10-<15

30

360

130

110

20

0

40

30

15-<20

30

500

130

70

20

100

150

20

20-<50

100

3340

1370

90

40

810

870

160

50-<100

90

6840

3340

50

70

2270

1030

70

100-<500

120

23100

6410

30

20

9360

7190

90

>=500

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Although family farming plays a significant role in Malta’s agriculture, there are as yet no policies intended to strengthen family farming in general. The draft Rural Development Programme for Malta 2014-2020 includes measures intended to attract young farmers into the agricultural sector and to support them to start up an agricultural activity. Although family farming plays a significant role in Malta’s agriculture, there are as yet no policies intended to strengthen family farming in general. The draft Rural Development Programme for Malta 2014-2020 includes measures intended to attract young farmers into the agricultural sector and to support them to start up an agricultural activity.

[1]. Eurostat (2010) The structure of agriculture in the EU – agricultural census 2010

[2]. Statistics Explained at http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu_explained/

 

 

This text is kindly provided by the authorities of this country