AGRICULTURAL ISSUES

AI01 AN ANALYSIS OF THE AGRICULTURAL LEASES (RELETTING) ACT 1967 AND ITS IMPACT ON MALTESE AGRICULTURE

The major part of agricultural land in Malta is cultivated by farmers who do not own their land, but have obtained it through a lease agreement.  There exist a variety of landlord and tenant arrangements that have been employed since the fifteenth century.  The long term lease, or so called emphyteusis, became popular in the earlier part of the seventeenth century and remained so until quite recently.  Subletting occurred under the Metayer system or more commonly referred to as shared cropping.  However, the ordinary agricultural lease was the most common then and is still so today.  Under this type of lease the land owner retains full property rights and only cedes his personal right of use to the tenant.
The first form of legislation relating to agricultural leases appeared during World War II with the issue of the Agricultural Leases Emergency Regulations of 1941.  These regulations provided sufficient protection to farmers in the tenure of land, especially at that particular period.  The parliament of Malta kept these regulations in force until the promulgation of the Agricultural Leases (Reletting) Act XVI of 1967.  This law is the only instrument that deals with landlord and tenant relations as regards leasing of agricultural land.
The social developments and economic changes of the past thirty years have warranted some improvement of the present law.  The legislators may benefit from the experience gained locally and refer to similar laws in other countries to effect the important amendments required.  They may also want to include some of the suggestions given in the conclusions of this dissertation.
Research  Worker: Edward J. Mifsud
Project Supervisor: Prof. Anthony Scicluna-Spiteri
 

AI02 AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN MALTA

This study investigates the agricultural education institutions in Malta. Their historical development, aims and objectives, vocational programmes and overall organisation are evaluated and critically discussed. Non-vocational educational initiatives, established to instil in children an appreciation for farming and a respect for rural environments, are also researched and assessed. This work also examines non-formal agricultural education and training provided by Government agencies and private agricultural companies.

 Due to the fragmented nature of these programmes and initiatives, the small numbers of respondents and interviewees, the limited statistical data and resources, this research utilises a wide variety of qualitative and quantitative data collecting techniques. This allows a triangulation of data that results in a more comprehensive view of the situation under study.

 This dissertation is divided into four parts.

q       The first part presents a theoretical and historical perspective of what agricultural education should be, how it developed in Malta, and those current issues and constraints that are influencing it. This part also serves as a framework that justifies the methodology adopted and contextualises the results obtained.

q       The second part focuses on the three agricultural education institution that provide vocational agricultural at the secondary, post-secondary and tertiary level.

 q       The third part examines aspects of non-formal agricultural education and training in Malta. The training needs of a representative sample of local agro-industries are studied using a specifically designed questionnaire. The inception, development, and present operation of the Government extension service is critically analysed and evaluated.

q       The fourth part and final section proposes policies, measures and changes that could help to improve the overall situation of agricultural education in Malta.

 This research has shown that numerous problems hinder agricultural education in Malta. Agricultural education policies are not clear; initiatives are isolated and uncoordinated; financial and human resources are limited; the extension service is not fulfilling its roles; and education and training is not satisfying the exigencies of local agricultural industries.

However, in spite of all these problems, this investigation has managed to identify those few initiatives and institutions, notable the Institute of Agriculture, that have proved to be successful and that could serve as a sound foundation for further improvement.

Research  Worker: John Abdilla
Project Supervisor: Prof. Anthony Scicluna-Spiteri & Dr. Paul Pace

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