The shift from full to part-time employment in the agricultural sector : case study : Zejtun

Abstract

Employment in the agricultural sector is undergoing several changes that place this industry into a delicate socio-economical situation. A main concern in today's agriculture is the shift in the type of employment, in which there has been an evident decline in full-time farmers whilst an increase with part-timers. Statistics shows that the farming industry in Malta employs around 17,148 farmers of which only 1,764 work on full-time basis. (NSO, 2007) This discrepancy in figures is constantly increasing along the years. This pattern shows that full-time farmers are facing various issues in their occupation that discourage them to continue working in this sector. Furthermore, young people are not willing to work in the agricultural sector as their main source of income. At the same time more persons are choosing this occupation as a side line or hobby, illustrating that it is an enjoyable activity but not reliable as primary job. Agriculture is vital for humans since it is a main source of food production, but these current changes that are taking place have unfavorable effects on this industry. This study examines some of the main factors affecting this shift in employment. The main areas of this study include the issues that full-time farmers face, the reason behind the increase in part-time farming, tendencies that are formed in this industry and changes that affect farming employment.