Within three months/ Farmers of Goricani flooded for the fourth time

2026-02-20 07:18:00, Aktualitet CNA

This week, for the fourth time in three months, greenhouse areas in Gorica, Berat, have been flooded.

Since November 2025, the production cycle in this area, known as the granary of Albanian exports, has been violently interrupted by rainfall and then the flooding of the Devoll River, whose HPPs have opened their discharge gates in compliance with regulations.

Gentian Ziu, a farmer in the area, said that this time the nursery greenhouses and others that were recovered were completely damaged and now the situation is more than a disaster.

Vegetable exports in January 2026, according to official INSTAT data, were halved by the devastating effects of the January floods.

Farmers in the area claim that the initial investment for planting one hectare of early crops, such as tomatoes or cucumbers, starts with the cost of seedlings, which averages up to 15,000 euros. Together with chemical fertilizers, irrigation systems and labor, the cost brings the bill to around 25,000 euros per hectare.

When water entered the greenhouses for the fourth time in a row this February, the investments were completely wiped out. The excessive moisture and asphyxiation of the roots make immediate replanting impossible without a costly process of drying and disinfecting the soil. Moreover, the long-term damage extends to the degradation of the structures.

Unlike floods in previous years, the frequency of successive strikes this season has destroyed any chance of recovery. This phenomenon is creating a domino effect from prices in retail markets that are too high for seasonal produce to a decline in exports.

On the other hand, the situation is not improving at all as there is no compensation mechanism or clear warning protocol.

Earlier in January of this year, water in fields and greenhouses damaged harvest production and early season seedlings in areas with intensive agriculture in the regions of Berat, Lushnja, and Fier.

Frosts on the first day of the year, floods, and more frosts and floods these days have dealt a final blow to intensive agricultural production.

The losses from floods and frosts are greater than the financial capacity of a farming family. Albanian farmers neither receive subsidies nor are they insured, so they are totally exposed to losses.

In EU countries, part of the insurance premium is covered by the state, making insurance affordable. In Albania, this lack of support leaves the farmer alone in the face of climate change.

Experts claim that without urgent intervention in the arrangement of the embankments below the dam and without real coordination between departments, Goriçan risks turning from a successful model of greenhouses for exports into a swamp.

Devoll Hydropower's reaction

"Monitor" sent an official request to Devoll Hydropower regarding farmers' claims about the recent floods.

"Regarding the submitted request, please find below information from Devoll Hydropower Sh.A. regarding the management of hydrometeorological situations created in the Devoll River watershed, part of the Seman River basin.

Devoll Hydropower Sh.A.: Since November 2025, the Seman River basin has been experiencing heavy rainfall and high water flows, above historical averages. The catchment area of ??the Devoll cascade at the Banja and Moglica hydropower plants constitutes about 50% of the Seman watershed area.

The reservoirs of the Moglica and Banja hydroelectric power plants have held very large volumes of water and controlled discharges have been carried out according to dam regulations, contributing to reducing the risk of flooding rather than increasing it.

Discharges from Banja constitute only a fraction of the total flow of the Seman River and are significantly lower than the inflows into the Devoll cascade; therefore, claims that the floods were caused by the Banja hydroelectric power plant do not hold up.

During February 2026, maximum hourly flows in the reservoirs reached over 450 m³/s, while maximum controlled discharges from the Banja hydroelectric power plant were around 200 m³/s — a normal operating level under high flow conditions. Currently, discharges are around 150 m³/s and all structures continue to operate within full safety parameters.

Devoll Hydropower regularly exchanges information with authorities from the early stages of the discharge process, also informing the public both on the website and on the social media channel. Controlled discharges are regular and standard practices depending on hydrometeorological conditions, and reservoir monitoring is carried out in real time.

"In accordance with ICOLD international guidelines, hydropower reservoirs are important tools in reducing peak flows (fulls) in downstream areas of the river," the company's response states. /Monitor