Low chestnut production, high price/ Residents: Forest near Pogradec should have a permit for management and use

2025-10-16 14:19:00, Sociale CNA

Low chestnut production, high price/ Residents: Forest near Pogradec should have

In the village of Geshtenjas in Pogradec, known for its vast chestnut forests and their quality, residents are facing numerous difficulties in keeping alive a wealth inherited from generation to generation. The chestnut forest, which extends over an area of ??about 700 hectares, has today become a major concern for the community, as most of it is located within protected areas and has been left without care and preservation.

Of these 700 hectares, about 600 of them are located within protected areas, while 100 hectares are outside them, but neither of the areas is being managed properly. Residents say that the lack of a clear ownership status and documents that would allow them to legally intervene for cleaning, maintenance and conservation is making the situation increasingly difficult.

"This year, the weather has not been suitable, but the chestnuts have also been damaged a lot because we do not have guards and they have been cut down. We want the state to give us a document so that we can start preserving them, cleaning them in a way that will allow the chestnuts to grow better. We want to use them again, just as they did with the old tapis, by obtaining a permit from the municipality. Every resident of this village has a share of the chestnuts. This year the price is high because there is no production," said village resident Landi Seitllari.

Low chestnut production, high price/ Residents: Forest near Pogradec should have

This year, production has been very low. Weather conditions have not been favorable, while damage has increased due to the lack of guards and illegal logging. In many cases, trees have also been damaged due to carelessness, as they are not cleaned, pruned, and the distances that help their healthy growth are not respected. Residents demand that the state and relevant institutions issue them with a permit or official document that would enable them to protect and manage the chestnut forests, as they once did, based on old land titles inherited from their families. They say that once each family had its own share of chestnuts, which constituted an important source of income for the community.

"This year the price has increased because there is no production. This is due to the weather, due to lack of cleaning because the chestnuts need to be cleaned, arranged and spaced apart. That is why we are asking for permission from the protected areas or to return them to their tribe, because those chestnuts are with old corks, bought with gold and are the village's economy. The whole village, all the tribes have chestnuts. Today there are no young people, they have left and there are few people who collect them. This is the best production that the country has, the tastiest, the cleanest and there is a very high demand. There is a market, but for two years there has been no production," said the village headman, Seladin Capo.

Low chestnut production, high price/ Residents: Forest near Pogradec should have

According to the residents, the chestnuts of the village of Geshtenjas are among the best in the country, in terms of taste, quality and natural purity. However, for two years, production has been very low, putting at risk one of the most precious assets of the area and a tradition that has always been part of the identity of this community. The residents hope that the responsible institutions, including the municipality and the administration of protected areas, will find a way to cooperate to return the forests to the care of the local residents, to give them the opportunity to preserve and sustainably use this natural asset that can keep the village economy alive. /CNA