Maltese Agriculture
The Begingings of Agriculture on the Islands of Malta On the islands of Malta, argriculture came with the very first people that set foot on the islands. Many ancient tools were made for agriculture. These first settlers built megalitic temples such as Ggantija to honor their goddess, the Sleeping Lady, goddess of fertility. The early farmers sacrificed animals to their goddess which they thought it would give them fertile crops. These people were farmers and hunters from Sicilian Tribes. In Roman times bees where cultivated for their honey in Malta which gave rise to the island's name Melita, which means honey in Greek. Cotton was also cultivated in Malta. Malta was a famous place for banished Roman nobles which they built the Roman villas in Rabat. Over the years Malta gained a great number of new types of agricultural products from the reigning rulers. Some of these are, the olive tree and carob tree from the Arabs and the potato plant from the British.
Maltese Climate The climate on the Maltese islands is typicaly Mediterranean. It brings cool winds from Europe and hot, dry winds from North Africa. With relatively calm seas and high heat Malta makes a great place for growing summer fruits. Winter is mild with rare cold winds. Usually in the day time the temperature is above 10̊̊ C and at night it never falls under 0̊̊ C. It sometimes floods in Malta due to a build up of rainfall. Summers are very hot and dry with dry winds from the south. Ocationally winds from North Africa bring sands from the Saharah dessert swallowing the islands in a dense sandstorm. The heat in Malta can be quite irritatating due to high humidity, and the sun is umbearable in mid-summer. The hottest day in Malta ever recorded was 44 C.
The Importace of Water on the Islands The islands of Malta are some of the driest places in Europe, therefore it is a great challange to sustain the people's demand for freshwater. That means it is an even greater challenge to keep crops alive. The Maltese came up with many ways to keep water and transport it across the islands. They took water from water tables in order to get freshwater deep from the ground. During the reign of the Knights of St. John, they biult the Aqueduct to transport the water from Mdina to Valletta.
Crops grown in Malta today
Today in Malta many different crops are grown and a large number of farm animals are kept. Some of these include, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, garlic,cauliflour, pomagranates, oranges, olives, apples,grapes and many more. Also sheep, goats, cows, pigs, rabbits, poultry and horses are also bred. These agricultural products are a great economic good which keep the Maltese economy going.
A Maltese breed of dog called "kelb tal-Fenek"
Types of Soils in Malta TERRA ROSSA SOIL: This type of soil formed over 10000 years ago when the rainfall on Malta was more abundant and thus more green with vegitation. It has a reddish colour due to high amounts of iron oxides present in it. This type of soil is usually found in the north of the Maltese islands. CARBONATE RAW SOIL: This type of soil is much younger and has very high amounts of calcium carbonate which gives it a pale brown appearance.This type of soil absorbs high amounts of water. It is mainly found on the north-eastern cliffs of Malta and Gozo.
XERORENDZINA SOIL: This type of soil is also young and also has high calcium carbonates.It is very common in central Malta and Gozo . It forms from softer limestone and decomposing debris.
Rubble Walls Rubble walls in Malta are very common especially surrounding fields in the country side. In Maltese it is called, "hajt tas-sejjiegh". The various shapes and sizes of the stones used to build these walls look like stones that were found on the ground. The Maltese farmers found that the technique of these walls was very useful especially during a time where resources were scarce. Rubble walls are used to serve as walls between the property of one field from the other. A good feature that rubble walls offer is that when heavy rain falls their structure would allow water to pass through and therefore, water will not ruin the soil. Soil erosion is decreased as the wall structure allows the water to pass through but it traps the soil and prevents it from being carried away from the field. We can see many rubble walls on the side of the hills and in valleys where the land slopes down and consequently the soil is in greater danger of being carried away.
Traditional Foods In Malta many traditional foods are found, which are inspired by its agriculture. While some are loved as finger foods, others are eaten as large meals. The "bajtar"(prickly pear) is a famous friut on the islands and many dishes and drinks are made out of them.
Pastizzi are also a very famous food. They are flaky pastries filled with pea mash of ricotta cheese. 'Gbejniet', 'tadam imqadded' and 'fenek moghqli'are also traditional foods.
"Il-Girna"
The Maltese "girna" is used to store goods within the fields and yet keep them away from the harsh mediteranean sun. It is biult like ruble walls but in the shape of a circular room. During the hot summer months the animals are sometimes kept in these shelters to ease the intensity of the heat. It is not only use by animals but also farmers when plowing the fields. Nowadays these huts are protected by law due to their rarity. In the past they were much more common to see in the Maltese countryside.
A "girna" near the "torri lahmar" (red tower)
Farming on the Sister Islands Out of the many islands of the archipelago, three of them are use for agriculture, but only the two main islands are used for comercial farming. The island of Malta is the main producer of comercial farming due to its larger size and fertile soils. Many farming villages are found such as Zejtun which is famous for its olive oil.
In Gozo farming is very common and some farms are also for comercial use. On the island traditional methods of farming are more practiced than in the island of Malta. This is due to the Gozitonian culture bieng more dominant on the island.
On Comino agriculture is also present. This is much less obvious than the other ilse becouse Comino is less visited and much smaller. On Comino there is a small population of farmers that cultivate the lands but it is mostly used for livestock intead of crops due to its less fertile land.
Inpact of Agriculture on Traditional Maltese Clothes In the past (mostly before WW1) people wore traditional clothes in Malta. Most of the noble costumes were not very effected by agricultural traditions but peasent clothes were mostly made for work in the fields. Mainly clothes for men were for work, while women's were for indoors or vocation to the church.
"Milsa": It was a traditional head dress for farmers "Horga" This was used as a sack to store mostly seeds and vegetables. This is also used today in fields but is nowadays konwn as "Hogor"
"Terha" It was fashion at the time to have a tick wide cloth wraped around the waist
(Men's clothes for indoors and out doors)