Supporting schemes for agriculture, doubling of product and employment

This is what a successful entrepreneur in the meat industry near Tirana, in Prezë told to the Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture.

Today, Prime Minister Edi Rama and Minister Panariti attended the inauguration of the premises of this enterprise, which exports to Italy and Kosovo.

"Manufacturing, processing, storage and a closed cycle in Albania along with an increased storage and manufacturing capacities. With this investment, the capacity is 2,500 tons; for storage and processing it can go to 24 tons per day" – the entrepreneur said.

Minister Panariti stressed that in addition to major centers for meat processing that guarantee the highest standards of food safety, growth of meat production in Albania is encouraged in order for these facilities to be supplied by local farmers.

"This investment is a good signal in this regard as it connects livestock production with the market. These are major points of collection, processing and packaging that give added value and, at the same time, ensure the compliance with the highest standards of quality and food safety"- Minister Panariti said.

For Prime Minister Rama, promotion of these examples of success conveys the very clear message that development of the village is a national priority for the Government.

"Today, for us, development of agriculture, livestock and villages in general is a national priority and today there is a completely new policy of the shift from the agriculture of pittance for survival and banal electoral purposes, to an intensive agriculture development through the creation of examples and by laying the foundation of a transformation based on a closed cycle"- the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said that this new relationship with the farmer and production is the Government's approach which does not support the agriculture of survival, but a sustainable rural development. With next year's budget support for agriculture will increase. Therefore, the Prime Minister invited entrepreneurs to invest in the countryside.

"It is very important that everyone be aware that we are open to those who want to take part in the great effort for going from the Middle Ages to capitalism in the countryside. Capitalism in terms of completely new relations of production and completely new relationship with the state. We fund more strongly those schemes that bring success, profit, export and we have nothing to do anymore with the distribution of money that gets lost in the great river of survival. On the other hand, export growth which continues to consolidate as a trend this year is a clear sign that we are on the right path. Next year, with the 2015 budget we will double funding schemes and the financial power available to these entrepreneurs, and will call the entrepreneurs who haven’t looked at the village yet, who in the last 20 years have invested in bricks and mortar to take from the bank their savings, their deposits that now are levied more, and to invest them in the agricultural and livestock development"- the Prime Minister said.

Subsidy schemes of the Agency of Agriculture and Rural Development support any entrepreneur in agriculture or livestock by 50% of the funding for any new investment in this sector.

Director of the AARD, Suela Popa said that such schemes are implemented for the first time and are proving to be successful. According to her, AARD’s goal is not only to make investments, but also to prepare the Albanian farmer to benefit from EU funds.

"Next year, we will redouble schemes, which will make it possible not only to close the cycle, but above all, to grow the added value in our country. The ultimate goal is of course to increase employment, increase exports and achieve European standards. Our challenge is not merely to make investments but, above all, to train Albanian beneficiaries, because besides the Albanian government funds, Albania expects to absorb a very important portfolio of investments from European Union funds."