"Removing the oil subsidy, a serious blow to greenhouses"/ Meta: By supporting agriculture, we stop depopulation

2026-04-07 12:32:00, Aktualitet CNA

"Removing the oil subsidy, a serious blow to greenhouses"/ Meta: By

The leader of the Freedom Party, Ilir Meta, in a reaction from prison, stated that it is unacceptable that national subsidy schemes in Albania remain insufficient.

Meta states that removing the oil subsidy at a time when its price is at a historic high is a severe blow to greenhouses.

A problematic situation, the leader of the PL, the sale of nitrogenous chemical fertilizers, according to him, 30% more expensive than in Greece and Italy.

He further adds that at a time when IPARD funds have been cut for the third consecutive year, the agricultural budget in Albania cannot remain at current levels.

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Exclusionary and discriminatory thresholds of agricultural handouts that go to a minority

It is unacceptable that national subsidy schemes in Albania remain so inadequate, setting absurd thresholds above 3 hectares as a condition for funding. This criterion excludes the majority of small farmers, when in fact the only criterion should be the identification and registration of plots, without discrimination based on size.

Equally absurd is the limitation of livestock support based on the number of heads. Support should be linked only to the identification and registration of the herd, not to meaningless numerical limits that do not take into account the average size of the Albanian farm.

Removing the oil subsidy at a time when its price is at an all-time high is a very serious blow to greenhouses, increasing production costs and making it impossible to compete. Meanwhile, greenhouse plastic has seen a price increase of about 60% this month alone, so the subsidy must be doubled urgently to prevent the destruction of intensive production.

Even more dramatic is the situation with nitrogenous chemical fertilizers, which in Albania are sold 30% more expensive than in Greece and Italy, severely hitting domestic production and driving it out of the market. There are no subsidies for them, leaving Albanian farmers defenseless against foreign competition.

In Greece, subsidies for livestock and land are linked only to registration in the CAP system. There are no absurd thresholds on area; every hectare registered receives support. Furthermore, chemical fertilizers and agricultural inputs have a reduced VAT (13%).

In North Macedonia, subsidies are given for each registered parcel and for each identified herd. VAT on basic agricultural products is only 5%, significantly reducing production costs.

In Kosovo, direct payment schemes support every registered farm, without discriminatory thresholds. VAT on basic foodstuffs is 8%, making production more affordable.

In conditions where IPARD funds have been cut for the third consecutive year, the agricultural budget in Albania cannot remain at current levels.

Just to stop the degradation of the sector, it should be at least three times higher. Otherwise, Albania will knowingly lag far behind its neighbors, deliberately impoverishing the farmer and bankrupting this vital sector, with devastating consequences for domestic production.

Only by supporting agriculture can we stop depopulation! /CNA