Prime Minister Edi Rama shared footage in the social media of “Farma Sotira” located amidst the forests of Gërmenj.

According to Rama, the farm combines nature, tradition, fresh produce and Albanian hospitality into a unique agritourism experience.

“Farma Sotira” in Kolonja was honored with the International Agritourism Award 2024 at the International Agritourism Congress held in May in Bolzano, Italy.

At Farma Sotira, exceptional hospitality meets natural wellness. Guests can enjoy cozy accommodations, farm-to-table meals featuring local produce, horseback riding and a scenic campground. The farm also offers apitherapy, a unique wellness treatment that uses the soothing, therapeutic air from beehives to naturally oxygenate your lungs. /e.i/r.e/p.s./

Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro broke the news writing in a post in the social media.

Appreciating it good news for Albanian agri-tourism, Kumbaro said that, “It is a positive assessment for one of the pioneer farms of Albanian agri-tourism, motivation for the whole sector, but also putting Albania on the map of world agri-tourism”.

Sotira farm offers tourists the perfect hospitality in their oasis, from accommodation, food with local products, horseback riding, camping, to innovative method of lung oxygenation, which works through beehives.

Through the rural development support program, it is aimed to highlight the traditional local products of each area, towards a consolidated local economy. /k.s/r.e/p.s./

The Ministry of Agriculture said that side by side with the registration, there has been created the Land Information System for at least 448,541 ha, or 65.2% of the total farm land in the country.

The “Sustainable Land Management” program also aims at digitization.

During 2023, about 15,000 ha of agricultural land in the administrative units of Qukës of Elbasan region, Hekal of Fier region, Fajze of Kukës region, Helma of Tirana region, Blinisht and Zejmen of Lezha region have been digitized.

According to the report of the Ministry of Agriculture, at the end of the digitalization phase, there will be carried out the following: Inventory and classification of farm land according to its suitability; Collection of information on land use/cover for the year that the initial registration was carried out, as well as analyzing the dynamics of changes in land use based on plots; Agro-ecological study of the  areas; Digitization of the farm land register for 4 administrative units; Creation of the WEB-GIS program for land data./r.e/p.s./

Twenty-three farmers of Petrela benefited from the “Mini-Grant in the form of agricultural machinery” program, which is a cooperation between the Municipality of Tirana and the German organization “Help”.

During the meeting with the local farmers of the area, where the Ambassador of Germany in Tirana Karl Bergner also participated, Mayor Erion Veliaj said that the project aims to improve the economic sustainability of farms and small rural businesses.

“I am delighted that today we give these gifts to 23 farmer families, which are actually work tools for them, starting from honey centrifuges to olive shakers, pruners, plows, etc. It is the best gift we could give rather than speeches or ceremonies, because this gift will continue to yield other gifts, as it will produce more employment, economy and welfare. We are 25% shareholders in this process. This means that we no longer just say ‘give it to me’, but we also contribute as much as we can. The rest was donated by donors, and since they are three times more contributors than us, I am three times more grateful to the German ambassador and colleagues who helped,” said Veliaj.

He also took the opportunity to call for the consumption of as many local products as possible and especially their marketing.

“Not only for patriotism, but also for economic effect, many of the restaurants, shops, supermarkets will have to understand the value of the ‘Made in Albania’ or ‘Made in Tirana’ product. What often happens is that foreign delegations come and the first question they ask is: “Do you have local products?”, said Veliaj.

On his part, the German ambassador in Tirana Karl Bergner said that only through such joint projects do benefit those who need these means the most. /p.s./

Verbund AG with a capacity of 72.6 megawatts offered the price of 74.95 euros per megawatt.

Total Eren SA and KMV shpk with a capacity of 75 megawatts offered a price of 44.88 euros per megawatt.

Guris Insaat ve Muhebdislik As & Mogan Energji Yatirim Holding As (Turkish) & BRD Energy shpk with a capacity of 75 megawatts offered a price of 74 euros per megawatt.

The three companies have completed the required capacity in megawatts, giving a total of 222 megawatts, and as a result, the three companies are declared winners of the auction.

Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku considered it a great achievement, considering the global situation, since energy on August 31 of last year hit 1042 euros per megawatt.

“Today, we have secured one megawatt at an average price of 50 euros”, she added. /r.e/p.s./

During a visit to the “Semanjaku” farm, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Frida Krifca got closely acquainted with the progress of the livestock activity that takes place there and the entire closed cycle that this investment has achieved, thanks to the support from the Agency of Agriculture and Rural Development through IPARD II program.

“We need such models of farms with a closed cycle, which, in addition to income for farmers, create even more jobs”, said Krifca.

Thanks to this financing, it has become possible to build the slaughterhouse and equip it with the right machines, where there is a complete slaughter line, as well as large refrigerated rooms for meat storage, guaranteeing food safety.

“Semanjaku” slaughterhouse has turned into one of the largest in the country, which, in addition to being an important investment in this area, with European standards, also contributes to the opening of new jobs and rural income./p.s./

Speaking during an event with livestock farmers and relevant actors, which took place in the premises of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, on the World Milk Day, Minister Krifca made an overview of the developments in this sector, first highlighting the significance of milk for consumption and in the agricultural economy.

Also, the minister said, milk is an important product for the economic income in the village and the general production of agriculture.

Krifca said that, “Of the four products of the territory that we recently certified as “Made in Albania”, 3 of them are products related to processed milk, namely Mishavina cheese of Kelmendi highlands, melted cheese of Malësi e Madhe, and Goat Cheese of Runja highlands in Dibra”.

“It is precisely these products that build the agro-tourism offer of the Albanian rural area, where milk and its by-products have a primary role in bringing to life the vision that we have for rural areas”, the minister emphasized.

Krifca said that the sector is in an important moment of restructuring where small livestock farms with one or two cows are giving way to farms with more than 10 heads.

The minister expressed the government’s commitment to increase support for livestock and livestock farmers with grants and training.

During this forum dedicated to milk production in the country and the livestock sector, livestock farmers and entrepreneurs operating in this field took the floor. They market their experiences in the profession they have chosen to work with passion and desire, although they have studied in other fields, believing in the business they have set up and is developing as the demand of the time./p.s./

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Frida Krifca visited the “Fshatçe” farm, in Libofsha of Fier, a model investment towards which the livestock is being oriented.

“With Gentian on the “Fshatçe” farm, with over 900 heads, a successful model of closed-cycle farms”, said Krifca.

The minister praised the investment in processing technology similar to the most modern farms in the world. Here, she said, high-tech standards are applied from animal welfare, providing the food base for them, production up to the final product.

Minister Krifca, accompanied by Albanian Food Authority (AKU) Director Jeta Deda, closely inspected this venture that has given another example of development to the livestock sector.

Gentian said that he has turned the rented land into fertile land where he cultivates fodder plants that are the food base for the livestock he breeds on his farm.

In addition, he has set up facilities for grinding concentrates. “The mill and the mixer are high-tech equipment that I got with the support of the IPARD program,” he said.

“We are making a plan to apply to the next IPARD call for a silo combine that greatly facilitates the process of storing food for livestock in silos that feed cows in rations as needed. So, the investment in silos automatically feeds the livestock and the space created for us in this center serves us to fill it with alfalfa and dry grass”, he said.

This venture is focused on the production and packaging of milk. Pasteurized milk and all the main by-products from cheese, yogurt, butter, etc. are produced here, according to the best standards.

AKU director Deda said that all products from this factory are marketed with a unified label, certified by AKU, while all analyzes are carried out regularly.

Minister Krifca evaluated this investment as the best model, an example for livestock farms where this sector aims to reach./p.s./

The farm is built between the remote mountains of Lofkënd village, in a very beautiful natural area rich in pastures.

With around 700 goats and goat kids, the farm has turned into a quality model of entrepreneurship in the field of animal husbandry.

Veliaj said that he worked hard to build this farm. Back from emigration, he invested in the construction of the farm, with all the appropriate conditions for the breeding of goats, while taking care of their health together with his wife.

Veliaj said that he has been a beneficiary of National Scheme subsidies for several years, while last year he also invested in setting up a dairy for milk processing.

In the livestock farm, they are fine for meat and milk production. This livestock farm is ranked next to large farms in Albania, where it was created and aims to realize a complete production cycle.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is showing a lot of care and support for these people on the way to success and the social model. The national scheme for the current year, which is expected to be approved by the government, has again included livestock farmers as a priority objective for livestock consolidation. /p.s./

They are Total Eren, Verbund, Voltalia, Eksim Yatrin Holding, AYEN & Salillari and Guris & Mogan Energy.

Deputy Prime Minister, at the same time the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku stated that this is another important step towards the diversification of renewable energy sources, which will increase even more the production capacities in the country.

“The auction for wind farms has attracted the attention of many well-known international companies that have appeared to be part of the competition. The companies have long experience in the production of energy from renewable sources and own wind farms. They have the financial capacity to withstand this investment, but they will also be supported by the two international financial institutions EBRD and SECO with loans. After the two auctions for the production of electricity from the photovoltaic parks, Karavasta and Spitalla, it can be said that cooperation with the EBRD is guaranteed”, said Balluku during a media conference.

The deputy prime minister pointed out that the ceiling price in terms of the financial offer is 75 Euros per mWh. She was optimistic about the financial offer.

“Given the prices in the international markets that have reached unimaginable levels, the benefit that Albania will have from concluding the contract for these wind farms with the maximum price of 75 Euros is great”, stated Balluku.

According to Balluku, these wind parks will be the first parks in Albania of a significant production amount from 10 megawatts to 75 megawatts and the total amount will be 100-150 megawatts./p.s./