Agriculture constitutes a relatively small part of the economy of Malta, an island country of 316 square kilometres (122 sq mi). The economy is largely industrialised and service-based; the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector represents 0.7% of the GDP and employs around 1.1% of the workforce as of May 2025. Alongside limited arable land, small-scale operations including fruit fields and vineyards make up the majority of farms. However, farming plays a significant role in local livelihoods, and cultural preservation. The sector faces challenges related to scale and competitiveness as well as limited fresh water supplies and scarce energy sources, but has diversified in crops and production methods. In terms of food security, Malta produces less than a quarter of its food needs.

It is regulated by the Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, headed by the minister Anton Refalo. The Agriculture and Rural Payments Agency and Agricultural Bioresources Agency are both government agencies under that ministry.

Maltese agriculture is dominated by small and micro-holdings, often fragmented into small parcels. Often these are run part-time by people for whom it is not their main source of income.

According to the European Commission, more than 300,000 people live in rural areas of Malta, and there are more than 10,400 farms in Malta, 90% of which are less than 2 hectares (4.9 acres) in size. The total agricultural area of Malta is 10,700 hectares (26,000 acres). Between 2010 and 2020, there has been a decrease of 16.2% in the number of agricultural holdings, 6.2% decrease in utilised agricultural area, and the agricultural labour force declined by 26.7%.

Many crops are seasonal with diverse outputs throughout the year. The main crops produced are wheat, olives, potatoes, green peppers, citrus, cauliflower, tomatoes, barley, and grapes. In the irrigated areas, higher-value vegetable crops, including melons, tomatoes and artichokes, are grown. Harvesting is usually done manually, rather than mechanically, due to the small size of the arable land available.

Natural geology, hydrology and soils have long presented a challenge to farming on Malta's landscape. Maltese farmers have made use of techniques such as rainwater harvesting and passive irrigation due to the lack of available fresh water and arid environment. Most of the land is rain-fed with no major watercourses on the islands. Eco-agrarian adaptations have been in evidence since at least the early Roman occupation period.

The Gozo farmhouse, or razzett, is a type of dwelling found in Gozo, featuring distinctive cubic architecture. They developed around 1600, linked with the typically medieval Mediterranean tradition of walking to one's fields in the early morning.

There are several notable former 18th-century farmhouses, including The Devil's Farmhouse (Ir-Razzett tax-Xitan) in Mellieħa, the Ta' Xindi Farmhouse in San Ġwann, both scheduled by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority as Grade 1 National Monuments, and the Ta' Cisju Farmhouse in Naxxar. The Villa St Ignatius in St. Julian's was also originally part of a country estate, with its surrounding fields used for agricultural experimentation.