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| The field in the Drino valley in Gjirokastra planted with cereals |
Sanctions against Russia and the war in Ukraine are raising global grain prices and this is affecting Albania as well. Agricultural specialists in Albania see as a necessity the resumption of planting cereals for which interest has declined in recent years. But farmers are looking for support to secure profits from the sale of produce, as cultivation costs have risen.
In a region that is abandoned every day by its residents, such as the Gjirokastra Region and where most of the land remains uncultivated, the Beqari family is cultivating in the Drino Valley about 500 hectares, where most are occupied by cereals.
With over 20 years of experience year after year, the farm, which is the largest in the region for grain production, faces challenges that have become even more difficult this year, says Klinton, one of the family members.
"We have been in agriculture for 22 years, my father and I started it, following him in business. The years go by and become more difficult. Even though the weather this year has not been very convenient, the rains have not helped us. We have started irrigation before any other year, while the increase in cultivation cost has also had a big impact.
"If 100 kg of urea last year cost 3 thousand leks, this year it is 12,000 to 15,000", he says.
"We hope this year for the price of wheat," says Klitoni, "because if it does not increase, we risk failure as the land is rented."
"Wheat is a product that the market demands a lot, wheat and corn, while oats and alfalfa are as a supplement. We circulate the land so we are forced to plant them all. "Agriculture will not cultivate the land for 20 years with corn, corn, corn but also with other crops to make agricultural turnover", he emphasizes.
Sanctions against Russia and the war in Ukraine have pushed up global grain prices. Balil Bineri, a specialist in Agricultural Services in Gjirokastra, says that even for Albanian farmers and specifically in the region, this should be seen as an opportunity to return to the cultivation of wheat and corn.
Mr. Bineri says that Gjirokastra has climatic conditions and the opportunities are to double or triple the cultivation of cereals.
"Gjirokastra has very good conditions, especially for corn, as it has lands, climate, catchments and a large part of farmers have mechanical power so at least the surface of cereals is fully possible to achieve two or three times if the agriculture is supported," he says.
In the Drino Valley in Gjirokastra alone, over 10 thousand hectares were planted with cereals before the nineties, while now a much smaller area, says Mr. Bineri.
At the county level, around 1000 to 1300 ha of maize are planted per year, while the same is the area of wheat which has decreased. But wheat production is lower as the yield is three times lower than corn.
While Klinton says that one of the difficulties is related to immigration which has brought about the lack of people to work.
"There are no workers. The workforce is going to vanish. We try to achieve modernization, by taking means, starting to do the irrigation with a controlled system with plants. We will definitely go for it," he said.
In the agricultural areas in Albania, the aerial views speak of the cultivation of cereals that began to grow according to agricultural specialists with the increase in wheat prices during 2020, where during the pandemic wheat went over 600 dollars per ton from about 450 USD in 2019.
But this year, according to specialists, there is a lot of uncertainty from farmers whether they will be able to sell wheat at a profit because this year's cultivation has cost them dearly due to the increase in the price of fuel and chemical fertilizers.
The Member of the Albanian Parliament Erjon Braçe asked the government in the Parliament to protect the grain growers by the state until the purchase of their production this year.