Speech of Prime Minister Edi Rama:
I believe you have not forgotten that in February last year, the river Vjosa overflowed and caused serious damage to your production infrastructure.
Those days I was here with you to ensure you that we would not disappear after the sun came out, but that we would be back here to help you recover so that your productive life and your work could continue their normal course.
Precisely in those days, I obtained an appointment with the ambassador in an attempt to provide all possible support which we had both from the EU and the US government.
It was at that meeting I asked the Ambassador for support, and he assured me that he would speak immediately with USAID to explore the possibility of support. USAID is actually one of our partners in this joint effort to do what has never been done in Albania, help people affected by floods, ranging from damage to their homes – which needed an immediate response, and we gave this immediate response, – to damages to the production infrastructure, and losses due to flooding for which we have prepared a full package of financial compensation, according to an inventory we made together with you back then, and to work for the recovery of infrastructure for which we have made available a substantial fund, and we are doing some work in the neuralgic points of the river.
What is noteworthy is the fact that USAID did not simply a work that was related only to financing, but worked directly with a group of farmers and local authorities. And actually, today it is not simply about having the old greenhouses replaced by new ones, but it is about having created a model of excellence for the production, and providing ongoing training which along with the new technology will help enormously to increase production.
In fact, this area has brought in Albania a great innovation with the cultivation of strawberries in the 3-4 recent years. In fact, not only are we happy to see that the growers who were damaged last year are smiling again, but I want to let you know that we will take forward this joint effort as part of a new strategy of the government, where in addition to what has been done in this area – approximately 90 ha of strawberries have been cultivated thanks to modern greenhouses which are expected to increase production to 40-70 tonnes – the greenhouses will expand further, and not only for strawberries but also for other products.
In fact, you have had a real impact on the growth of exports, an increase in exports that is spreading not only in the region but also in the EU countries, and this gives us a great courage in advancing our project to have the “Made in Albania” brand reliable and certified internationally.
You have always had issues with access to financing. I want to let you know that the Albanian government has already put at your disposal a major scheme to guarantee agricultural loans. Yesterday I returned from London where, during the meeting of the EBRD we confirmed that farmers will have available a fund of 300 million euros in 3 years. This means that in addition to the small fund made available by the government through the ARDA, this fund will create conditions for farmers to obtain for their agricultural and livestock or fishing production, credit at low interest rates which are guaranteed by the government.
There is one fact that is very important. Until 2012, only one bank was active among the commercial banks to lend to agriculture, while today all commercial banks are seriously involved in lending to agriculture.
In addition to the funds that benefited from the synergy with USAID and the European Union program, which are a considerable amount, there will be also these direct financing funds to farmers, and I urge you to use them at maximum taking into account also the regionalization map of production, and to use in this area the best tradition that you have created yourself and which speaks for itself.
This year we gave municipalities the largest fund that the state has ever made available for irrigation and drainage, for clearing of canals which were not touched for more than 20 years by those who were before us, and to ensure that the work the government will do with the central drainage boards, which have already been reduced to 4 areas across the country, is in harmony with the work of municipalities.
Actually, municipalities have now available funds for renting vehicles and buy the fuel to start working on clearing. Meanwhile, we have started the process to buy a fleet of new excavators to replace the excavators left from the love with the People’s Republic of China. We will bring for the first time new excavators, perhaps American or perhaps German ones, we don’t know yet, and will make available for the municipalities an entirely new fleet of excavators. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture will receive a grant from the Chinese government for a fleet of excavators to be used at the river deltas. We have a very clear plan. It definitely takes a lot of work because you cannot do in 2 years what was not done in 20 years, but I am convinced that this season you will have far fewer problems related to irrigation, and will have many more facilities in terms of drainage.
Many thanks to all of you! And thank you again to our USAID friends!
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Albanian farmers’ “Made in Albania” products are being supported with the most advanced modern technology. The strawberry growers, farmers of the village Kafaraj in Fier, suffered serious damage due to floods last year. Entire greenhouses were almost completely destroyed, with substantial losses in the local and regional market.
Thanks to the government support and to the USAID 750 thousand dollar fund, technical and financial assistance was provided to farmers throughout a year in the areas affected by floods. In addition, three new models of tunnel greenhouses were rebuilt with parameters that guarantee durability, the best microclimate and high resistance. The new 2.4 meter high greenhouses allow full ventilation and are suitable for planting other agricultural crops.
Approximately 90 ha have been planted with strawberries in the villages Kafaraj, Ade, Frakull and Vjosë, in the district of Fier. This assistance program created a collection point with packaging machinery which meet the quality standards and food safety of export markets. In addition, over 60 farmers were trained on new agricultural practices for strawberry.
Accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture Edmond Panariti, the USA Ambassador to our country Donald Lu, the Director of USAID in Albania Marcus Johnson, and representatives of the local government area, Prime Minister Edi Rama returned after a year to see the new greenhouses of the farmer Xhemil Hamataj who is a beneficiary of the support program.
While showing the surface on which the new greenhouses are built, one of the drafters of the project said that the renovated models allow farmers to change in the future the nature of their products. “This part was damaged terribly, almost 3 acres of the farmer Xhemil Hamataj. Following this, Marcus made a promise on behalf of USAID to help the area. We began to implement a development project for this territory. We created a model that is not only for strawberries, but also for alternative cultures, so that in the event of a change of culture that sometimes farmers are forced to do, they can do it because they can plant there also tomatoes.”
In taking the floor, US Ambassador Donald Lu said that he supports the government’s initiative to transfer to the municipalities the responsibility and authority to prevent flooding. “Although I have been in Albania for one year now, my Albanian friends say that the cycle of flooding occurs regularly. Minister Panariti told me on Monday about the government’s initiative to transfer to the municipalities the responsibility and authority to prevent flooding. We fully support this initiative and urge the government to give them not only the authority but also the technical and monetary resources to solve this problem. The administrative and territorial reform aimed to improve the provision of services locally”, he said.
Prime Minister Rama said that the commitment of the government to recover the damage is a promise kept. In addition to expressing his satisfaction that the work of the farmers of Fier is back in its normal course, the Prime Minister noted that the government’s objective is to have the “Made in Albania” brand certified and reliable internationally.
The Prime Minister said that a 300 million Euro fund will be made available to farmers in 3 years, in order to create the conditions for them to obtain for their agricultural and livestock or fishing production, credit at low interest rates which are guaranteed by the government.
