Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu stated in the social media today that for over 20 years, Zdrava limited liability company (LLC) has grown alongside local farmers by investing in advanced technology and transforming domestic agriculture into a competitive force in international markets. Highlighting this success, Koçiu praised the company and farmer Xhuljan Doda for expanding processing capacities through strong collaboration and government support.

“We support any investment that adds value to Albanian products and drives economic growth,” Koçiu stated.

Farmer Xhuljano Doda, from the village of Lekaj in the Rrogozhina municipality, is marking his sixth year of cooperation with Zdrava LLC.

“We are harvesting tomatoes on 20 hectares this year with Zdrava and we expect to yield 800 to 900 tons for industrial use,” Doda said.

On his part, Saimir Zdrava, manager of the Zdrava Group, noted that the company now exports items like pickles, sauces and jams to 37 countries.

“We have worked with Xhuljano in Lekaj for six years, harvesting 600 to 700 tons of tomatoes annually to process into tomato concentrate, cooking sauce and juice,” he added.

/m.m/ j.p/p.s./

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development brought as an example the farmers Ylli Kiçi and Saimir Parraqi in Sulzotaj. They are greenhouse pepper growers who use good agricultural practices and biological pest control.

Meanwhile, Ylli Kiçi’s farm also grows two hectares of late watermelons. This diversifies crops and uses protected agriculture. “These successful model farms show a new path for Albanian agriculture: high output, great quality and strong global competition”, appreciated the minister.

The 2026 National Agricultural Support Scheme now backs biological crop protection. Measure 5, targeting biological pest control in greenhouses, qualified 362 applications according to the Agency of Agriculture and Rural Development. This rise shows farmers want sustainable, high-standard methods to improve food quality and boost Albanian agricultural production standards.

/e.xh/j.p/p.s./

Accompanied by Tax Administration Director General Ilir Binaj, Malaj visited Lushnje and Fier to oversee implementation of the scheme, which came into force on July 1.

During a visit to the Bufazi family’s greenhouse farm in Krutje, Lushnje, tax officials assisted farmers with applications for the VAT compensation. The family, which cultivates around three hectares of tomatoes, is expected to receive about 900,000 leks under the scheme.

“Since July 1, the tax administration has been providing compensation equal to 10% of VAT for agricultural and livestock products sold with valid invoices to collection or processing centres,” Malaj said, adding that the measure forms part of the government’s broader support for agriculture, which it considers a priority sector.

The Minister also met farmers at the Regional Tax Directorate in Fier, where officials explained the application process and provided practical assistance.

Malaj said the application process had been fully digitalised through the Tax Administration’s eFiling platform, allowing farmers to apply online using their registered invoices and bank account details, with reimbursements transferred directly to their accounts.

He also called on agricultural collection and processing centres to issue invoices for all purchases from farmers.

According to the Tax Administration, agricultural product sales reached about 13.5 billion leks in January-June 2026, up from 11.5 billion leks a year earlier. If all eligible farmers apply, total compensation for the period is expected to reach around 1.35 billion leks.

/e.xh/ /a.g/u.sh/

The assistant was presented at the “Digital Agriculture for Albania 2030” conference in Tirana and will be integrated into the government’s Farmer Portal platform.

Agriculture Minister Andis Salla said Albania was entering a new phase of development in which farming would increasingly rely on technology and real-time data.

“Digital technologies are now a necessity for agriculture in the face of challenges linked to climate change, rising production costs, market competition and the need to meet European standards,” Salla said.

According to the minister, YLLI will provide farmers with immediate guidance on agricultural activities, public support schemes and other sector-related information through a smartphone-based platform.

The Farmer Portal will also publish real-time market and collection-point prices, a measure the government says will improve transparency and help farmers make better-informed decisions.

Salla said the digitalisation programme would extend to the use of smart sensors in agricultural plots, providing real-time data on irrigation, fertilisation, weather conditions and crop-management needs.

The initiative forms part of Albania’s broader Digital Agriculture 2030 strategy, aimed at improving productivity, competitiveness and alignment with European Union standards.

Speaking at the conference, World Bank Country Manager for Albania Massimiliano Paolucci described the project as a strategic step towards building a national digital infrastructure for agriculture.

“Albania is not building an application. It is building a national digital backbone,” Paolucci said.

He said the system, being developed under the Climate Resilient Agriculture and Development (CRAD) project with World Bank support, would provide farmers with real-time advice on irrigation, crop diseases and farm management decisions.

The pilot phase is expected to cover around 2,000 hectares and between 4,000 and 5,000 farmers, with the system designed to be integrated with European Union standards from the outset.

/e.xh/j.p/r.e/u.sh/

Speaking in parliament, Berisha said the decision was not only pushing farmers toward bankruptcy but also contributing to depopulation of rural areas.

“Albanians know well that one of the factors driving people away from their farms and land is fuel, which they cannot afford,” he said. “At the peak of rising fuel prices, they are told that the fuel subsidy has also been removed. All neighbouring and European countries provide such subsidies,” Berisha added.

He also said farmers in European countries benefit from substantial financial support, including EU agricultural funds such as the IPARD.

Albania, he said, remains the only country in the region that does not benefit from IPARD funding.

/m.m/a.f/u.sh/

Speaking during a meeting with farmers in the northeastern region of Dibra as part of his “Projects of Albania” tour, the government head said the main challenge facing the sector is no longer access to finance but the quality of projects and the level of engagement by farmers and local authorities.

“It is no longer about funding. Those who want to invest in agriculture-whether in production, collection points, processing facilities or agritourism-must focus on strong projects and proper applications, because the funds are available,” he said.

Rama emphasized the need to increase value-added production, encouraging farmers to process agricultural goods into products such as jams and preserves. He added that top-grade produce should be exported, while lower-grade output should be processed to enhance market value.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the role of municipalities, urging them to take a more active part in supporting rural development and farmers’ initiatives.

He pointed to Dibra’s strong potential in agriculture and tourism, noting that improved infrastructure, including the Arbër Road, is boosting access and economic prospects in the region.

Rama added that the first beneficiaries of the government’s “Mountain Package” programme will benefit from significant fiscal incentives, including tax exemptions for agritourism ventures.

/a.f/u.sh/

Speaking at a press conference, Berisha said farmers should receive diesel without any taxes.

“Cutting the excise alone is not sufficient for farmers. They need a halving of the fiscal burden and complete excise removal. Fuel must be provided to them tax-free, and this is not happening,” he said.

He also said farmers were facing difficult conditions and lacking government support.

“That is why farmers feel hopeless,” Berisha said.

The opposition leader also called for a broadening of civic action, linking the farmers’ protest to a planned demonstration in Tirana on April 17.

“The only hope and path for farmers is protest with all means on April 17 in Tirana, followed by the blocking of roads and public squares across the country,” Berisha said.

/m.q/j.p/u.sh/

During a press conference, Vengu said that, “The National Civil Protection Agency has supported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and municipalities to deal with the damages, especially in livestock and agriculture. We are now ready to prepare a compensation package with the Ministry of Finance for the damages, especially in agriculture and livestock”.

Minister Vengu also spoke about the rainy weather and the measures taken.

“The heavy rain in November last year and in January and February created problems in most river basins and in some of the watershed areas as a whole. Under the coordination of the Civil Protection Agency, the Armed Forces and especially the Civil Emergency Support Command and the engineering units have been engaged on the ground even at these moments”, Vengu emphasized.

Vengu stated that, “There have also been carried out search and rescue operations in Klos together with the Kosovo Forces while a mission is still ongoing in the Osumi basin and we have a maximum commitment here”.

Also, he added, the engineering units have been engaged throughout the territory to open the roads blocked by landslides from time to time in rural areas and to rehabilitate critical infrastructure, bridges or dams.

“In this way, we have reached the local residents of the affected areas in order to provide them with as much safety as possible, despite the high number of landslides that have occurred throughout the country,” said Vengu. /k.s/a.f/p.s./

Attending the closing meeting was also Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku and Minister of Finance Petrit Malaj, as well as farmers from Patos, Roskovec, Mallakastra and Fier.

The round of hearings started from Librazhd and extended to all regions of the country, with a total of 23 field meetings, placing the farmer at the center of the process of co-drafting support policies for agriculture.

During his speech, Minister Salla emphasized that the meeting in Fier marks the conclusion of this consultation process at the national level and the transition to the final phase of drafting the new scheme.

“Today, it is the last closing meeting in all regions of Albania and together with the staff of the Ministry and the Agency for Agriculture and Rural Development we will conclude all the requests and complaints that are directly related to what you have raised in person, to reflect them in the new financial package and in the new measures that will be presented in a few days,” he said.

Minister Salla underlined that from the 23 meetings held, there has been built a clear picture of the real needs of farmers, which will be directly reflected in the National Scheme 2026.

The scheme is being conceived based on the analysis of suggestions coming from the field, with the aim of addressing the missing support, reviewing the criteria and expanding the benefits, for a fairer, more efficient and aligned support with European Union standards.

The new scheme will launch with an initial budget of 5.2 billion lekë, 16% higher than last year and will be accompanied by integrated financial instruments, including soft loans at interest rates of up to 2% supported by a state guarantee of up to 70%, as well as VAT compensation, with the aim of reducing production costs, promoting formalization and increasing the value of “Made in Albania” products. /j.p/p.s./

Teliti was present at the National Integration Council meeting in the Parliament, where there was discussed the issue of addressing the recommendations of the European Commission’s 2025 Report in the field of food safety, within the framework of the EU integration process.

Present at the event were Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Andis Salla, Head of the socialist Parliamentary group Taulant Balla as well as other civil society actors.

Teliti said that 95% of Albanians want integration into the EU, but over 75% do not trust the institutions that guarantee food safety.

“The approximation of legislation with the EU requires a high level of implementation. Therefore, we recommend that all Albanian institutions preserve the historical memory of the trained inspectors and that for certain reasons they should not be dismissed,” she said.

“It is necessary that all businesses, even the small farmers, must be aware and a campaign should be undertaken on the obligations and issues within the framework of the accession process. When Albania will become a member state, it will be too late to protect farmers, especially the small ones from bankruptcy due to non-compliance with standards – we feel the traces and elements of the problems today,” said Teliti./a.f/r.e/p.s./