The agricultural product fair has now become an annual tradition in the capital. From one stand to another, farmers and other entities have showcased their products and will stay at Skanderbeg Square for three consecutive days, from October 23rd to 25th. Among the participants, a significant number of farmers have been supported by ARDA through national schemes and IPARD. From ARDA’s booth, Director Frida Krifca expressed her satisfaction for the opportunity to present the work done through examples.
“Today, we are at Skanderbeg Square. The fair, under the leadership of the Municipality of Tirana, has opened, and we thank them for creating this space where ARDA can showcase its work. Some of our beneficiaries have participated in this fair, exhibiting their products and production work. We are excited to display some of the work we have done,” – said Frida Krifca.
During her speech, the head of ARDA also highlighted the investments and benefits obtained so far from the IPARD program.
“Regarding the implementation of the IPARD program, we have so far signed 222 contracts for investments, which are currently in progress. Today, we have paid 60 of them, and some of them will be completed within this year. These are significant investments that have the potential to completely transform the agricultural infrastructure in terms of agro-processing development and farm diversification. Additionally, they contribute to increasing production capacity in various sectors, including fruits and vegetables, livestock, dairy, meat, and viticulture. We have also made commendable progress in the environmental services project, particularly in some major investments needed for silos and infrastructure development in remote mountainous areas that are challenging to access. These investments enable the establishment of new silos and provide the necessary infrastructure,” – said Frida Krifca.
Krifca further stated that, in terms of the supportive scheme implementation in agriculture, they have already paid 5,008 applicants.
“We are now in mid-October and still have another month to complete the remaining payments. We have implemented around 92% of the budget available for the scheme. Farmers have been supported for basic cattle, beehives, medicinal plants, replacing plastic in greenhouses, and building livestock facilities. We are witnessing significant development in the agricultural sector, and every day we see positive and optimistic trends in its impact on the country’s economy. We have supported numerous start-ups and increased the involvement of women in this sector, and we are optimistic that more will be accomplished,” added Krifca.
From the AZHBR stand, director Krifca announced that the third call for the IPARD program will be opened within the year.
“Within the year, we will open the third call of the IPARD program, where those subjects who may not be qualified and did not have the opportunity to complete the documentation in time or have changed their objectives will have the opportunity to apply again. There is a chance, right now, to apply to the third call which will open in December 2020, so I encourage you to start getting ready. Very soon, with the correct information on the website of azhbr.gov.al, it will be possible to get to know the criteria and procedures of the third call” – announced the head of AZHBR. Krifca added that the primary objective is to increase the absorption of the available budget that we have in the IPARD program.
