“The total budget for the agriculture sector in 2026 reaches 16.3 billion lek, representing an increase of 11.3% compared to 2025. This growth aims to modernize agriculture and expand production capacities, stated Minister Salla.

He further emphasized that domestic investments in agriculture will rise from 2.59 billion lek to 3.88 billion lek, while the Food Security Program for 2026 is projected at 2.9 billion lek, 12.1% higher than the previous year. These funds are intended to enhance laboratory capacities, increase accredited analyses, and strengthen guarantees for food safety.

Effective from January 1, 2026, farmers will be eligible for a fiscal instrument granting a 10% VAT compensation on agricultural inputs, linked to invoiced sales by farmers holding a Tax Identification Number (NIPT). Preliminary assessments indicate that this measure alone will provide an additional support of approximately 1.5 billion lek annually, contributing to reduced production costs and enhanced traceability of agricultural products.

The new measures aim to strengthen the link between production, collection, and processing, and to boost the competitiveness of Albanian products in both domestic and European markets.
/sm/