“I say it sincerely, and let all Albanian farmers know, I don’t just consider the employees of ARDA as acquaintances. They have been available to farmers, providing guidance and explaining the necessary documents. They never got tired of clarifying things for us,” says the farmer from Ndroq, Tirana. Halil has been involved in agriculture and livestock farming for 30 years and expresses satisfaction with the income he earns from his land and livestock.
Currently, he has cultivated around 10 hectares of land with various crops, including corn, wheat, barley, onions, and others. During a meeting with ARDA’s director, Frida Krifca, Halil was informed about the benefits brought by the tractor purchased with IPARD funds. “The tractor is extraordinary. It does the work with great precision and in much less time. It allows for higher productivity. It can work the soil up to 50 cm depth, which is excellent for the quality of agricultural production. On this land, I aim to harvest about 200 quintals of wheat. I have sown two different varieties,” he explains.
The concern of the General Director of ARDA, Frida Krifca, was whether the farmer encountered difficulties with the online applications, which have been conducted in this format for several years.
“In the early years, they required many documents, including tax records, municipality papers, land taxes, and even electricity bills. These documents were excessive and unreasonable, in my opinion, because if you didn’t pay the electricity bill, someone else could handle it, while the important thing was to work the land. All these obstacles have been removed now. You only need to have your cattle registered and provide the milk delivery invoices. In recent years, the process has become much, much easier,” shares Dedej about his experience.
The farmer from Ndroq has benefited from IPARD by purchasing a tractor, which is an advanced agricultural implement with modern technology. The grant amount received is 5.9 million new lek. With this tractor, Halili can work the land, plow it, and simultaneously transport the produce from the fields to the storage area. This investment has reduced the cost of agricultural production by up to 3.2%. On the other hand, this agricultural equipment increases efficiency and improves the overall quality of work.
