After announcing on Monday that the government will compensate damages of flooded farmers in agricultural products and livestock, the Minister of Agriculture Edmond Panariti announced in February 17 that the government will pay the amount of 1.5 million EUR loans of farmers which now are not able to pay them. “The government decided to cover all rural loans taken by farmers in micro lending units since they are not able to pay them due to huge looses of products and animals during massive flooding in the beginning of February,” declared Panariti.
He added that “the emergency situation is no longer present in country’s south and the government has engaged all institutions in recovering damages in rural areas of southern Albania”.
The government ranked agriculture one of prior sectors of country’s economy in 2014 since the revenues from this sector increased due to the significant increase of exports. Agricultural, agro industrial and livestock products exports reached the amount of 17 billion ALL in 2014, more than 1.7 billion ALL than in 2013. To keep the positive trend of exports’ increase, the government has shown its full support to businesses that faced drastic looses after massive floods covered in mud and water many farms, greenhouses and factories in southern rural areas.
Official data show that agricultural products increased significantly during 2014, since farmers were supported in several cases by governmental funding scheme and by subventions. The positive trend of exports’ increase in the past years may not continue during this year as a direct consequence of damages caused by flooding, since most of agricultural farms and factories are located in country’s south.
News source/photo credits: ATA
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