Local farmer laments on the effects of the lack of rain on Maltese soil this winter
Although it’s the time of year when we’re meant to get the most rainfall, it’s been pretty scarce this year. And local farmers are feeling the effects of it more than ever. One tender of the land, Joseph Farrugia posted on Facebook about this situation and how it’s affecting the growth of fruit and veggies and his own personal livelihood.
“I cannot remember a season like this,” he says, talking about the lack of rain on the islands. “For two whole months, just a few millimetres rained. It’s tough.” He notes that the wind will be picking up a little and clouds will form but he doesn’t think it will be enough for it to rain heavily.
Joseph also shares his personal experience with the struggles of being a farmer and certain perceptions of locals when it comes to rain. “When it rains a little, everyone moans about it. Someone might have just washed their car, I’m sorry, but just wash it again!” Others complain about their children getting wet in the rain, or that they’ve just washed their windows, or that the village feast is around the corner.
“What about us who work in the fields?” he questions. “And those whose livelihood depends on the fields?” He feels that people overlook farmers and are more focused on feasts and whatnot. “No one thinks about the farmer’s situation, the worries about how to feed a nation.”
“When something becomes scarce, then people complain because the price increases. Rest assured, farmers won’t become rich,” he notes. “However, farmers aren’t beggars. We do our work with honour. The only thing a farmer prays for is the right for him and his family to live a decent life like those who moan and curse the rain.”