An analysis of the Agricultural Leases (Reletting) Act 1967 and its impact on Maltese agriculture.

Abstract

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.