Watch: 10 Tumoli Of Siġġiewi Vineyards Up In Smoke – Including 20-Year-Old Chardonnay Plants
Around 10 tumoli of vineyards, including 20-year-old Chardonnay vines, as well as the piping throughout the plot of land have been lost following a fire that erupted in Siġġiewi.
In footage uploaded to social media, Mark Cassar, a Maltese wine producer, showed rows of his burnt crops. Smoke continues to emerge as Cassar forlornly walks between his beloved crops.
The fields, near Salib tal-Għolja in Siġġiewi, caught on fire around 11am on Tuesday.
Speaking to Lovin Malta, Cassar said he was determined to rebuild; asked how he was feeling after seeing decades of work go up in smoke, he said: “Burnt. Angry. Calm. I will rebuild even if I’m not a 40-year-old anymore.”
The Agricultural Department is set to visit his site in the coming days to assess the damage – but Cassar is determined to find the cause of the fire, and he is not ruling out foul play.
“All my fields were planted in 2002/2003. They have reached a point of maturity where no pesticides or plant protection products are needed. Around seven tumoli have to be re-equipped from scratch – the wires, irrigation pipes, and vines… everything is gone.”
Nearby fields are government owned, with Cassar raising concerns over how they’ve been neglected for years.
“The upper rubble walls would have been a strong fire inhibitor but unfortunately they have fallen into disrepair,” Cassar said, noting he wasn’t allowed to repair the walls himself.
You can contact Mark Cassar and find out more about his unique wines by visiting his official website.
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