TIRANA, April 15 /ATA/ The chairman of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, visited Berat on Wednesday , where he engaged in a discussion with farmers from the local area and Kuçova on what he described as a crisis in the agricultural sector.

Berisha said Albanian farmers are facing bankruptcy due to sector challenges and pledged a fivefold increase in agricultural subsidies in the first year of a Democratic Party-led government.

“With our first act, we will increase grants for farmers fivefold,” Berisha stated, noting that Albania has imposed the highest tax on diesel fuel in the world.

“If you search on online platforms, Albania is for sure the country with the highest tax on diesel per litre. We will bring the fiscal burden on diesel into line with that of Kosovo and North Macedonia,” he said.

“Furthermore, farmers will be supplied with fuel free of taxation; all taxes will be scrapped,” Berisha added.

The leader of the Democratic Party accused the government of having neglected land and rural areas. “The bankruptcy of farmers is not only a personal and family tragedy, but a blow to society as a whole,” Berisha stated.

He told farmers in Berat and Kuçova that although agriculture and livestock account for 19% of the country’s total national output, they receive only 0.2% of the state budget.

He referred to regional countries as examples, highlighting Kosovo, which, according to him, provides four times higher the agricultural subsidies than Albania.

Berisha described the 10% invoice subsidy as a mockery, arguing that it has forced farmers to abandon their land plots and emigrate abroad.

Berisha said that while farmers are accustomed to juggling high risks and hard work, soaring fuel prices and rising input costs have pushed many into the red.

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