Present at the signing ceremony of the loan agreement for the EBRD program in support of Agribusiness and Tourism in Albania, Krifca noted that, “positive experience in recent years for financing the agricultural sector through support schemes and the IPARD program “has unlocked new potentials and increased the demand of farmers, exporters and agribusiness for financing.”

“Moreover today, she said, the global changes and the shock to the global chain for agriculture has highlighted the need to increase financing for crops, such as wheat and maize, without forgetting vegetables, fruits and their processing with which Albania is represented in the national and international market. ”

“MoARD sees that producers and processors have all the space to grow in order to increase production, employment and boost development of the sector. In this context I am glad to see that more funds are channelled into commercial banks to lend to farmers and agriculture. The EBRD Guarantee Fund worth 180 million euros for agriculture, agribusiness, agro-processing and agro-tourism, expands the network of banks that will extend concessional loans, with risk guaranteed by the Albanian Government “, said Krifca.

In her remarks, the minister also touched on the govt. priorities in agriculture.

“In the first, unprecedented 3-months of this year, we have managed to increase agricultural exports to 10 million euros in value and 24% more in volume. We aim to increase agriculture by expanding cooperation between farmers, diversifying exports, developing the village through agritourism, enabling the farmers to sell in these 1 thousand small agri-tourism markets, or the introduction of new production technologies that raise standards. “Through the Support Scheme we have increased the formalization of agriculture,” said Krifca.

“In 3 months about 20 thousand farmers have activated a new number of NIPT,” said the minister, while appealing to banks to increase lending in agriculture as the government is increasing instruments to support the financing of this sector .
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At the meeting held with the farmers to discuss issues such as the price of milk, Krifca said that,
“this is your commodity, this is your sweat. Therefore, you should sit down together and say: “We will sell the milk at that price!”

Krifca stressed that, “you must stick together. Unless you unite, you will not be able to access financing either. Organized groups are more successful. We have chosen democracy. In a democracy, markets are regulated by supply and demand. Working separately and joining forces in sales. Our duty was to increase financing which has gone four times as high.”

“The producers have complained to me that there is not enough milk. My suggestion is to set up a joint meeting. I will call you to the Ministry, you will sit down with the milk processors to strike the right balances. We have supported them to increase the standard of processing and to bring it to the final consumers in the right quality as the consumers want,” said the minister.

Small livestock farmers also brought up issues related to pastures and the need for more investment.
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