From chemical fertilizers to medieval canals/ Korreshi: Subsidies, only for oligarchs with the SP card!

2025-06-19 10:38:00, Politikë CNA

From chemical fertilizers to medieval canals/ Korreshi: Subsidies, only for

DP MP Saimir Korreshi, in his speech at the meeting of the EU-Albania Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee, touched on some of the issues affecting the Agriculture sector in Albania.

Starting from chemical fertilizers, the price of which has increased significantly, to their quality, to continue with the canals that, according to the MP, are blocked like in the Middle Ages and farmers are facing difficulties.

He further stated that subsidies in this sector are only for oligarchs with Socialist Party membership.

"I will talk about one of the points, perhaps the most sensitive for Albanians, about the preferential schemes that have been made, of the oligarchs who have also become greenhouse owners, the lawsuits and the requests that are required to receive these subsidies are for Albanian farmers, who are mainly in the family regime, or small. It is impossible, there are not many farmers who have a hectare or who meet the required conditions. The same thing happens with livestock. Only in Albania does it happen that the entire village, even though it may have always had domestic animals, now buys milk in the city. The opposite used to happen. Maybe Europe should get a little vision from Albania on this point.

We must remember that here in Albania, chemical fertilizers are one of the most sensitive points that Albanian farmers face at customs. This is not their fault, but it is the fault of the chemical fertilizers that enter Albania and are uncontrolled. Moreover, their price at these moments is extremely high, unaffordable, and this increases the cost for every Albanian farmer.

Secondly, the content of chemical elements that each packaging of chemical fertilizers has does not match what every farmer requires. So, if you intend to open a chapter group, you should have seen that one of the main issues is agriculture. I said it again because you forgot. Maybe it's a wagon that you disconnected from the train and forgot at the station, you didn't take it with you. But you should also, we are still in that category when we have uncleaned or clogged canals and lack the interventions that the government should make, it's still like in the Middle Ages.

In the village, to fill three canals, you need four pumps so you can give a little water to the plants. This is the most scandalous thing. Even more scandalous is the market. Even after all these vicissitudes, they manage to produce: it's been four or five days since the price of watermelon, which the poor were waiting for, has gone up again, and they haven't gotten their money back. They've been throwing it away for four days and can't put it on the market, because the cost has gone up more than what they spent to produce it.

So the rest of the environment, I mean that one of the most sensitive issues that the city and the whole of Albania has is the garbage, the garbage collection sites that continue to burn. It's the case of Vlora, the case of Lushnja – there are mountains of garbage and they're in the middle of the city. But all these pellet factories, which are absolutely stinking, some of which are working maybe even without a license, but which stink up the whole city with the smell that they stink.

I emphasize once again: Europe is close, but you have forgotten the agricultural station. You have left people in misery, in all the situations they already have, both with property, with investments, with receiving grants, if we look at how many farmers, from those who have grandchildren, or with what is happening with oil. I reported it in 2021, when on Saturday oil was given to SP members, farmers who were registered with the Socialist Party - the reports are still in the prosecutor's office, still without being ironed out and without a decision being made. 4 years have passed. The same thing is happening now, it is a selectivity, regardless of who makes the request, only those with an SP card receive it", said Korreshi./ CNA