Trends in part-time farming : case study : Siġġiewi

Abstract

In 2001 there were 14, 113 people in the Maltese Islands employed as farmers; 1,524 listed farming as their primary occupation whilst 12,589 (89%) were registered as part-time farmers. In Siggiewi, the target area of this study, the number of full-time farmers in 2001 was 52 whilst the number of part-farmers was 729, 13% of which are women (Agriculture and Fisheries Census, 2001 ). Despite the greater percentage of part-time farmers, no studies relevant to part-time farmers had ever been carried out. The aims of this study include the identification of the main issues relevant to part-time farmers; mainly lack of water, lack of time, land fragmentation, high pesticide use, family consumption oriented cultivation and insecure land tenure. This dissertation investigated whether a threshold size exists between family consumption and market oriented cultivation as well as using rubble walls as an indicator of land tenure security. Data collection was carried out through seventy-three focused interviews (10% of the registered part-time farming population) because even though the respondent will be answering a set of specific questions, he/she will have the opportunity of expressing their opinion. Data analysis will be carried out with the use of graphic representations (histograms and pie charts) and one-way ANOVA and chi-squared tests were applicable.