Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is in Lushnje today, held a discussion with the farmers of Krutje on increasing investment in agriculture, new fiscal incentives, and the innovations of the new national support scheme for this sector, aiming to achieve an overall production standard for the large EU market.
The Prime Minister focused in particular on the new National Programme “Double Your Enterprise”, which will provide substantial financing for all those who want to grow with a concrete and credible plan in every production sector.
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Prime Minister Edi Rama: Thank you very much. Dhimo, come sit here. You are a farmer, but you are on our side. So don’t hide from the cameras and don’t move away from our platforms. Dhimo is my teacher in agriculture; he has taught me the ABC of farming. And despite being a deputy minister, he is also the voice of farmers with us, and I believe his word carries its own specific weight, without, of course, taking anything away from the ministers who have their direct responsibilities in the sector.
First of all, I want to thank you for this opportunity. I want to congratulate the protagonists who are here on this land and who have taken on the creation of a united agricultural enterprise, and I want to emphasise that, beyond all the figures, beyond all the financing the essence we must agree on together, and when I say together, I do not mean those who look at agriculture from pots, from the rims of media pots or from that whole marketplace of gossip and chatter in Tirana, but all those who see agriculture as their opportunity to build their life and well-being, we must agree that money is not our main issue today. It used to be, but it is not anymore.
Today, our main issue is to clearly understand what we must do to secure the money we need to move forward in our enterprise. What do I mean by this? Time does not wait. We have spent many years talking, but we keep hitting that wall of prejudice against cooperation. No cooperatives, no collectivisation, no this, no that. The reality is simple: by joining together, each one earns 30% more. This is a calculated figure. I did not calculate it myself; I am a painter, not a financier, but it has been calculated. You gain 30% more simply by joining together.
Here is Dhimo Kotja. He is one of the pioneers of cooperation in his area, and from his ABC, I learned the essence: separate in production, together in sales. These stories about land fragmentation are a theory. Practice is very simple. Everyone keeps their own land, but when entering the market together, you create scale, you create bargaining power for prices, and you create guarantees and stability. And in our entire new approach to financing and support, we have placed exactly this at the centre: to stimulate those who want to grow, those who want to strengthen themselves through cooperation, those who want not only to produce but also to process, with concrete plans and projects.
Yesterday in Berat, we spoke about fuel. It is disgraceful how, for the sake of a blind fight, not even political, but almost tribal, a whole pack of “pots” is mobilised to take what we say out of context and repeat the same broken refrain: “give fuel, give fuel”.
Meanwhile, for real farmers who actually produce, it is clear that what we have done is far more than just “give fuel”. And while money was spent in the past to distribute fuel, which was part of a certain phase, not all beneficiaries were those who deserved it or used it for agricultural work.
The scheme based on land ownership and size had its own problems, because in many cases, the land is not owned by those who cultivate it. Those who work it are tenants, and the fuel would go to the owners.
Beyond this, the European Union does not have such a scheme. We are moving towards the European Union. We have been criticised for this scheme, and we justified it as a transitional phase. Now we have moved to the next step.
So instead of support calculated on quantities, from around €300 to €7,000–€8,000.
If a farmer sells their own production and presents the invoice directly as a producer, they will receive 10% of the VAT back from that invoice, in cash.
With that money, you can buy fuel, buy as much fuel as you want. But fuel is not the issue. Those who keep shouting about it are blind and malicious; their only goal is to create conflict and hostility towards the government. That is not my concern.
What matters is that we are communicating with you and, through you, with all farmers, that we are here with a new offer for agriculture.
The new offer means not only €52 million supporting a redesigned scheme focused on priorities and on those who cooperate; not only reimbursements; not only the new programme with the European Union that we expect to enter soon; but also another very important programme to be launched at the end of April, together with the Bank of Albania and all second-level banks.
This programme will cover all production sectors and will say to every Albanian producer: do you want to double your enterprise? Bring a credible plan, and the government will stand behind you. Banks will provide financing up to €2 million, depending on the scale. Interest rates will not be commercial, because the government will support them and provide guarantees.
This programme will be as large as you can absorb, €200 million, €300 million, €500 million, €1 billion, as much as needed. We started this mechanism with €30 million in guarantees and €250 million in potential funds from the Bank of Albania, and we have studied how it works and how to improve it.
We now see that in Albania, including here in Lushnje, there are small production realities that can become large: returnees from emigration, small workshops for aromatic plants, cosmetics, and other products. These are small and medium production units.
We are not talking about large companies; they know their way. We are talking about people like you here: do you want to double your enterprise? Bring the plan. From €100,000 to €2 million, depending on your proposal, and we will stand behind you.
So, beyond the increased funding compared to before, there is now a new opportunity created by our economy, financial stability, and the growing ambition of Albanian producers.
Yesterday in Berat, we met 70 olive oil producers who had joined together, not merging their land, but joining in collection, packaging, marketing, and sales. They created critical mass to compete in the market.
Someone said, “We need a laboratory nearby.” In fact, that laboratory was already part of the support provided by the municipality. The role of municipalities is key in creating such realities.
There is no more time to waste on theory. Cooperation is not about personal ties; it is about mutual interest and mutual gain. It is simple.
As the global situation becomes more challenging, the need to withstand time and compete in the European market becomes urgent. The EU market offers opportunities, but also deadly challenges for unprepared producers.
If today you cannot sell your tomatoes in the EU due to standards, you sell them locally. Tomorrow, you may not sell them even here.
The EU market means the same food safety standards will apply here as well. This will happen, and faster than many think.
Negotiations are about how much time we will have to adapt. If we enter the EU in 2030, farmers cannot fully adapt by then. We will need a transition period, and we expect an additional five years. So we have less than ten years. Time passes quickly.
We must act now: strengthen farms, strengthen farmers — not with illusions or handouts, but with real support. Those who want to grow will have all opportunities. Those who remain alone will not survive in the market.
This new mechanism, to be launched at the end of April and implemented within the first half of the year, is designed exactly for this.
Anyone with a small enterprise today can double it. What holds them back? Financing.
If they go to banks alone, they face high interest and strict conditions, because agriculture is seen as high risk. But with this mechanism, supported by government guarantees, they can expand. For example, combining greenhouses and expanding production, up to €2 million in support is available.
