Prime Minister Edi Rama accompanied by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Niko Peleshi and Mayor of Kukes, Bashkim Shehu presented the novel initiatives of the government related to supporting schemes in agriculture and animal farming, during a lunch with Kukes’ farmers. The support foreseen to this area includes new slaughterhouses, milk collection stations and agricultural investments. Minister Niko Peleshi briefed these initiatives.
The minister said that set up slaughterhouses will be subsidy-supported compliant to European standards as well as 100 ALL subsidy will be provided to a liter of first quality produced milk. Meanwhile agro-tourism is under government’s special focus which is represented by four villages, part of the “100 villages” in this area. “There are four villages part of “100 villages” scheme in the entire Kukes region, like Shishtavec, Shtiqni, Valbona, and Cahani, where agro-tourism structures are supported with priority. There is a standard placed, if any accommodating structure consisting of at least 6 rooms and accompanied by a farm is built then it will take the agro-tourism status and afterwards AZHBR support is considerable,” minister Peleshi said. In addition, minister of Agriculture and Rural Development reiterated farmers that if they get together and produce united benefits could be larger.
In his part, Prime Minister Edi Rama emphasized the need to farmers’ unity as according to him if each works his own parcel, they all together loose and government’s support opportunities do not maximize but instead minimize. Likewise, the Premier stressed that financial support won’t be granted to any viable culture, but only to those surveyed as huge potential exports’ cultures.
The Premier also mentioned slaughterhouses where he extended an invitation to all municipalities to become joint stockholders to their establishment in accordance to the highest standards. “It is absolutely pivotal the part related to slaughterhouses and municipalities play their role at this point, as we should not necessarily wait farmers to get together but the municipality could be a stockholder in this venture,” the PM said.
Kukes mayor confirmed as well by praising this region as a region endowed of great capacities. “Kukes enjoys the capacities but organizational skills are needed to those willing to perform a work. We noticed it even during the last slaughterhouse operation. Whether there is competition in other municipalities to take a permit it is freer here so come and we will support,” mayor Shehu said. He also congratulated government’s initiative on the water reform adding irrigation in villages must have water metres and there is a project to it, similar to villages in Kosovo and Turkey which apply the same pattern in agriculture land irrigation.
During the discourse, the Premier also focused on agro-tourism investments and the need to consider as a better prospective to all those living in the countryside. The PM illustrated this by an example of the neighbouring Italy. “If we eye at the developments undertaken in the villages of countries ahead us if we could turn back in time, not far back but in ’91 in Italy. Italy had 1/3 of what it has as well as other issues but still had issues. What happened is that it was provided with a huge support while that agro-tourism now is a great source of income in the village. If you have a difficult geographic position your possibilities to develop agriculture and animal husbandry are limited but, however, in such a situation you enjoy a fairytale nature and there you built a hostel, some rooms within, a small farm, a half-family run restaurant and you have the opportunity to work all year-round. Thus you turn your condition into a strategic position as a hospitality structure,” Prime Minister Edi Rama said.
