Farmers in Malta are being approached to sell their fields to prospective cannabis cultivators – and the struggling crop growers are viewing the offer as a lifeline, according to those who spoke to the Sunday Times of Malta.
The farmers report that property brokers, or sensara, have gone to them in recent days asking whether they are willing to part with their land for the cultivation of medical cannabis, which the government is promoting as a new industry for Malta.
Farmers said they were being offered at least €100,000 per tumolo [12,100 sq.ft.] of land they own which hosts greenhouses with all the necessary permits.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has said in Parliament that only “small-batch cultivation for research purposes” would be allowed.
“To be honest, it is a blessing in disguise,” the farmer said. “For those of us who feel desperate as they are incurring losses every year, or have no one to pass their fields on to, selling our land will give us peace of mind.
“At the same time, if a fraction of the existing 900 tumoli [10,890,000 sq.ft.] of greenhouses is sold for the cultivation of cannabis, this will lessen competition between those who grow conventional crops in greenhouses.”
Another said: “Selling the land is a lifeline for many of us who are on their knees. The sensara came at the right time. Selling our land could save us.”
Read more at the Times of Malta (Sarah Carabott)
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