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Frosts after floods flatten agricultural production

2026-01-13 07:14:00, Aktualitet CNA

Water in the fields and greenhouses damaged production during the harvest phase, while the frosts of the last two days have severely damaged 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 repeated frosts over the last two days have dealt a final blow to intensive agricultural production.

The Ministry of Defense reported that as of yesterday, about 13,000 hectares of land had been flooded. In the intensively agricultural areas of Myzeqe, the recent floods have directly affected villages known for their greenhouses and early production, causing significant damage to structures, seedlings and agricultural land.

In the territory of Lushnja, the hardest hit areas were Plug, Karavasta e Re and Krutje, where water entered plots with plastic greenhouses, keeping them underwater for days and damaging the production of early season vegetables. In these villages, greenhouses have a high concentration and supply exports.

In Fier, the floods have affected villages with a tradition of greenhouse cultivation, such as Hoxhara, Suk 1 and Kallm i Madh. In these areas, the water has covered not only the agricultural land, but also the connecting roads and side canals, making it impossible for farmers to quickly intervene to save the greenhouses, the farmers claim. The damage has not been limited only to the current production, but also to the preparation of the land for the next planting cycle.

Mariglen Ziu, a farmer who cultivates large areas of greenhouses in Samatica, said that in the Berat region, the floods have particularly affected villages along the lowlands and near rivers, such as Otllak, Velabisht and Kozare, where land with greenhouses and vegetable crops has remained flooded for extended periods. This has led to root rot, loss of seedlings and, in many cases, the need to restart the entire production cycle from scratch, the farmer said. The frosts of the last two days damaged all other plants that were not covered by water, he said.

There is also damage to livestock. In Dimal, Berat, around the Banaj and Sheq areas, there is a loss of food reserves while thousands of birds have died. All flooded areas are in an emergency for food for livestock.

Official data from INSTAT show that flooded areas contribute to 65 percent of vegetable production in the country and dominate almost 80 percent of fresh produce exports.

In addition to the damage that has been created in the farmers' economy, the damages of these days are expected to negatively affect the retail prices of agricultural products and also negatively affect the exports of this group. Last year, food and beverage exports were the only ones that maintained growth rates throughout the year, unlike other groups that have been on a downward trend and with fluctuations for almost two years.

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 the climate. /MONITOR