One of the important infrastructure investments aimed at protecting agricultural land is the rehabilitation of the left embankment of the Seman River in the municipality of Fier, which was completed in the last four months of the previous year.
The project involves the rehabilitation of approximately 8 km of embankment along the river, ensuring the sustainable protection of around 5,000 hectares of agricultural land and residential areas from flooding by the Seman River, as well as safeguarding the pumping station of the TAP gas pipeline. Over time, this structure is designed to blend harmoniously with the surrounding environment.
Prime Minister Rama visited Fier, where, alongside Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Anila Denaj, they observed the investment firsthand.
“Here we are at the Seman River. The left embankment of the Seman River has seen a noticeable improvement over 8 km, as a result of an emergency, which, during the last 4 months of the previous year, with financial support from the Ministry of Agriculture, made it possible to protect 5,000 hectares of land in the Topojë administrative unit from flooding, while also protecting the pumping station of the TAP gas pipeline. It was an emergency situation, and thanks to the work of all the drainage board employees and the company, we were able to complete it within 4 months.
This is an embankment that spans nearly 44 km, and interventions are made periodically depending on the difficulties encountered in rehabilitating work that actually started years ago.
In the Fier region, there are about 30 km of embankments that have been supported with budgetary funds and rehabilitation over the past 5 years. Investments in the Fier region are indisputable for all the agricultural areas represented by this region. There are currently 14 construction sites: 8 are overseen by the ministry, and 6 are managed by the local government, with a fund of 6 million euros over the next 2-3 years, which will help irrigate nearly 20,000 hectares of agricultural land. At the same time, we are also investing in drainage systems, as this region has important drainage infrastructure.
We have completed works on the Karavastasë and Divjakë drainage systems. And we have a significant investment over the next 3 years in new irrigation systems,” detailed the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, highlighting that “Support for irrigation, drainage, and flood protection systems in the last 10 years has increased nearly 4 times compared to 2013,” she stated.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Balluku emphasized that in this area, two important sectors, agriculture and energy, have been intertwined, as a larger portion of the land in the Seman area has now been converted into photovoltaic parks.
“On the other hand, the entire area of Topoja, Libofsha, and the surrounding regions have very high productivity. The fertile land has high productivity, and as we have coordinated with the Municipality of Fier and the National Territorial Council, in the coming days, we will be ready to implement the Regulatory Plan for the coastal area from the mouth of the Seman River to the mouth of the Vjosa River. This will be the first time we will have the opportunity to design a coastline for tourism purposes from start to finish,” stated Deputy Prime Minister Balluku.
Praising the outstanding work done in rehabilitating the embankments, Prime Minister Rama urged that efforts be made to persistently inform the public about the new 250 million euro funding line from the Bank of Albania for those who wish to invest in agriculture.
“What needs to be done now, and should be persistently repeated, is to inform about the new funding line from the Bank of Albania. It is 250 million euros supported by the sovereign guarantee that we are preparing, a very favorable instrument with very low interest rates for all those who wish to invest in agriculture, rural development, and agritourism,” stated Prime Minister Rama.
So, they can inquire at second-tier banks. Meanwhile, the Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (AZHBR) needs to do its part to coordinate this entire process because a lot of information is required. On the other hand, the rehabilitation of embankments, irrigation, and drainage has been a lengthy process, but it is nearing completion. Many people who have no idea about it continue to say, ‘Are you still dealing with water supply systems? Are you still dealing with irrigation channels? These things have been solved by the world.’ We know the world has solved them, but when we started this work, more than half of the channels were blocked, and more than half of the arable land had been abandoned because there was no water. The recovery we’ve achieved is remarkable, and in a relatively short time, with the modest budgets we’ve had, now the budget has become more significant due to economic growth, and incomes have increased. However, every project requires its own timeline.” – said Prime Minister Rama, encouraging emigrants who have worked in agriculture to bring their experience back to their country.
“The last thing I want to take this opportunity to emphasize is that without a doubt, anyone who returns and brings the experience they have from Greece, Italy, or elsewhere—especially from these two countries in agriculture—by applying it to their own land, whether for production, processing, packaging, or agritourism, will find that 100% of the time it will work out better than staying abroad. And I am convinced that this trend will strengthen year after year.” – he stated.
