TIRANA, April 25 /ATA/ Prime Minister Edi Rama and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Andis Salla, as part of the ‘Works of Albania’ tour, held a meeting with farmers in Dibër, where they urged them to join the United Agricultural Societies, which he described as a version of cooperatives, but in the European Union model.
In his address, Prime Minister Rama expressed appreciation for the farmers’ commitment at this stage, stressing that entering the phase of unity is no longer optional but a necessity. He underlined that unity generates strength, dismissing the criticism of those who seek to undermine every initiative.
Prime Minister Rama emphasized that these are not the cooperatives of the past, but rather those modeled on the European Union. He explained that, unlike the communist‑era cooperatives, EU cooperatives allow each farmer to produce independently while selling collectively. This joint approach, he noted, creates a significantly larger market volume.
Prime Minister Rama noted that such organizations provide farmers with a stronger negotiating position with buyers, while also harmonizing production activities. He explained that farmers sow with the same seed, share the costs of cultivating and caring for the crops, and then proceed collectively to harvest, package, and sell. These entities are legally designated as United Agricultural Societies (SHBB), a term selected to avoid the lingering fears associated with past collectivization and to clearly distinguish them from the former communist cooperatives.
Prime Minister Rama emphasized the need for unity, noting that the government has committed financial and institutional support, as well as a partnership with the state. In Dibër, the United Agricultural Societies (SHBB) are established jointly between farmers and the municipality. He clarified that the municipality participates as a shareholder not to claim farmers’ profits, but as a partner in a company branded ‘Dibra Origine’ for the European market, which is beginning to develop into a recognized brand.
Prime Minister Rama warned that without unity, Albania will be unable to rise up to the significant challenges associated with accession to the European Union. He explained that entering such a vast market individually would leave farmers struggling to survive, selling their products in fragmented ways. He stressed that food safety requirements would oblige each producer to conduct laboratory analyses at their own expense, while production costs would remain high if every farmer had to own, fuel, and maintain machinery independently. By contrast, he noted, sharing equipment such as tractors and harvesters among groups of five, ten, fifteen, or thirty farmers reduces costs substantially and ensures sustainability.
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