Zonqor farmers yesterday rebutted claims that only 1% of the land set to be taken up for the development of the American University of Malta is used for growing crops. The university footprint, as published by several media outlets, shows that three quarters of the land is agricultural.

Dr Muscat told The Malta Independent yesterday, when asked what would happen to the evicted Zonqor farmers, that only a few of them would be affected and that, according to studies, only 1% is used for growing crops, with the rest being used for growing silla (clover).

Dr Muscat also said the government would relocate these farmers elsewhere. Farmers had already told this paper that they feared eviction because there is no vacant agricultural land anywhere on the island. When pressed to say where these farmers will be relocated to, seeing the lack of agricultural land, Dr Muscat joked that he would put them in St Luke’s Hospital – the area where Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil said the university should be built – but then insisted that alternate lands would be found.

A number of farmers insisted, when contacted by this paper for a reaction, that it was not true that the Zonqor land in question is only used to grow clover, which is used as animal fodder. They insisted that much of the land is used to grow export potatoes. Moreover they said that, even if this was true that only clover was grown there, this was not a good enough reason to evict them because animal fodder makes up a sizeable chunk of their income.

One farmer said he leases two pieces of land; one of them right next to the Marsascala swimming pool, the other further up north. “I was told by the government that the entire area I have near the pool – 20 hectares – will be taken for the project. That means that I am set to lose 20 out of a total of 60 hectares. This is going to hurt, financially.” He said the soil found in the fields in the lower end of the university site is not suitable for crops but it is good for growing clover, used as fodder for cows,  and wheat, which are one of his main means of making a living. The farmer said he was asked if he would accept to be relocated to another area and said that he would, as long as it was not on the other side of the island. He was assured that the Lands Department always has available but said he had serious doubts that this was the case, insisting that every single piece of agricultural land is farmed by someone.