On Saturday, Prime Minister Edi Rama, accompanied by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Frida Krifca, stopped at the cherry plantations run by Veipi Salkurti who is at the peak of harvest season.
Veipi not only cultivates and sells cherries in the domestic and foreign market, but also manages a fruit juice production line.

“The main problem with farmers is that before cultivating a crop, they do not get information beforehand about what the market demands. My cherries are sold because I have read the consumer, so I sell mu production,” Veipi said while showing the prime minister around the cherry plantation.

“Some people refuse to understand that all this requires information, requires knowledge and cooperation, because it is the market that decides. Yet compared to when we started, today we are way better because there are so many like you. Look at the export, they have increased 29% in volume and 41 million dollars more than last year, ” Prime Minister Rama said.

One of the concerns for the farmers of Dibra is market access in the face of overproduction, a problem that will be addressed with the establishment of a new market for farmers in this area.

“We will build together with the municipality of Bulqiza, through funding of the Ministry of Agriculture, a market where smallholder farmers can sell their produce. Simultaneously with the municipality of Tirana, following the same model we are helping them to build the Farka market, which will greatly relieve this overproduction of the Dibra area. At the same time, we will continue to support them through the IPARD program, we will support them with the processing lines, as requested by Veipi for the cherry juice, ” Minister Krifca.
The Arbri road, the new market in Bulqiza and the new market in Tirana that will be built soon, will give a new impetus to farmers in Dibra and all over Albania to work the land.
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