Agriculture
The contribution of agriculture sector to the economy of Malta is low due to the climatic and geological difficulties faced by the country. Agriculture constitutes only 2.3% to its GDP and employs only 1.7% of country's active population (as against an average of 4.3% in the European Union). Nearly 75% of the island's food requirements are met through import of the agricultural products.
The main crops are vegetables which include potatoes and cereals. Cattle and pig raising constitute a major part of the agricultural activity. For more information on the agricultural sector of Malta, you can consult :
- The Agricultural Department of Ministry of Rural Affairs and Environment.
- A survey conducted in 2001 by the Mediterranean research institute on agricultural market of Malta
- The country records on the agriculture of Malta prepared in 2002 by the European Commission. |
Farmland surface area:
| The cultivated land area amounts to 38.1% of the total land of Malta, which is 12,000 hectares. |
Number of farms:
| There are 11,400 farmers in Malta but only 10% of them do farming as a full time work. The average area of an agricultural farm is 1 hectare. |
Crops
Crop |
Yield (in Metric Tons) |
Surface (in hectares) |
|
Vegetables
|
49.166
|
4.759
|
103
|
Milk
|
46.993
|
..
|
..
|
Potatoes
|
27.536
|
1.152
|
239
|
Cereals
|
11.800
|
2.950
|
40
|
Tomatoes
|
10.952
|
451
|
242
|
Pork
|
10.500
|
..
|
..
|
Fruits
|
6.538
|
1.303
|
50
|
Beef
|
1.636
|
..
|
..
|
Livestock
Species |
Headcount |
Cattle
|
19.000
|
Ovines
|
12.000
|
Pigs
|
127.000
|
Number of tractors:
Irrigated land (surface area):
Fishing
Yield in metric tons
Shellfish, mollusks and cephalopods |
Saltwater fish |
41
|
2.074
|
Aquacultural yield in metric tons:
|
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Last modified in
February 2004
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