Following the farmers’ protest held this Tuesday in front of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Minister Andis Salla and Minister of Finance Petrit Malaj met with a delegation of 15 farmers to discuss concerns in the livestock sector.
During the meeting, issues related to subsidies, market functioning, competition, and product standards were reviewed. The ministry announced that, through this year’s National Scheme, farmers will benefit from increased support:
- Direct payments for cows increased from 10,000 to 12,000 lek
- Payments for small livestock increased from 1,200 to 1,500 lek
- Payments for beehives increased from 1,000 to 2,000 lek
- New support for pigs and reduced minimum eligibility thresholds
Minister Salla announced that the total value of direct payments for livestock is expected to increase from 2.5 billion lek in 2025 to around 4 billion lek in 2026. For the first time, dairy-producing farmers will benefit from 10% of the value of their sales invoices, an additional support outside the National Scheme aimed at encouraging formalization and domestic production.
In the same vein, the ministry stated that controls on imported products at border points will be intensified, and support will begin for strengthening laboratory capacities to improve food safety standards and consumer protection.
Minister Salla also emphasized that support for the livestock sector will continue in order to encourage farmer cooperation and improve product quality.
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