Kosovo doesn't even this year secure the engine bread, farmers go without subsidies

The country's entire harvest campaign has begun. Although there are more wheat crops this year - 68 thousand acres [68 thousand ha] or 6 thousand acres more - the average yield per acre is 4 thousand pounds [4,000 kg] of wheat, over 300 pounds [500 kg] less than last year. The Ministry of Agriculture says 1400 autocontains are involved in this process, expected to complete the first days of August.

Anny why wheat is the main culture that long holds the largest surface of agricultural land, has never been achieved to meet the needs of the population with this culture, considering its importance to flour production.

Although about 40 per cent of the country's government, Kosovo government officials stress that during this year there is expected to be lower wheat production, due to climate conditions that have prevailed in the spring and June with high temperatures.

Farmer from Barileva, Besim Rexha, who has more than 50 hectares of wheat, says this year the quality of wheat is better, despite the productivity is lower than last year.

“Rendiments this year are lower than in last year due to climate conditions. So productivity is lower than last year. I own 53 hectares, half of us harvest, half of us harvest”, Rexha points out.

Even farmer Faik Verbovci this year is not satisfied with the amount of wheat production.

He says 4 thousand kilos was the amount produced this year for hectares.

We've harvested “, but this year there are no good productivitys like the past few years. So too weak, even because of moisture and cold in the spring. Also, these days major temperatures have influenced wheat beans to remain the smallest of”, he said.

Agricultural Policy Department Director in the Ministry of Agriculture Isuf Cikaqi declared to Kosovo that this year there are more wheat-planted areas, a total of 68 thousand hectares, until last year there were 62 thousand sosh.

Cikaqi, also says the smaller amount of production is expected, but the average wheat productivity for this year is expected to be about 4 thousand kilos per hectares, while last year the average productivity has been 4 thousand and 507.

He says 1400 autoco-containings at the country level are in this harvest process, while expected the harvest campaign to be completed in the early days of August.

“According to information that we actually have productivity for these surfaces that have been harvested so far and the harvesting process continues is 4,000 to 4000 (kilogram). However, there are parcels and areas that have grown to about 7,000 pounds [700 kg]. But. We'll know the finals only when the final harvestary report is made. On the Dukagjin Plains, we can say that more than 70 per cent of the surfaces have been harvested, while in Prizren and Suhareka over 90 per cent and more, while on Kosovo Plains it has only begun. If we say it in total, about 35-40 per cent on the country level has been harvested”, he points out.

Cikaqi also says that from wheat productivity, Kosovo this year provides 70 per cent of its needs.

And we hope it won't be less than 4 thousand pounds, and if it's 67 thousand and 755 hectares at 4 thousand pounds of land level, it's going to drop some 270 thousand tons of wheat produced, and the needs are about 400 thousand tons of wheat at the country level, then it's going to be 67-70 percent of the needs, if it's going to be this year's success”, Cicqi said.

Farmers complain that it is not good for them to cultivate wheat because they say that this product is low in price and that it is not for 2021 to be released for subsidies.

Farmer Besim Rexha said the state's financial support this year is missing.

With order and good going, it's convenient, but not that much. Why? Because this year, subsidies, time... The support of the state so far is nothing, this year. We have no support, we haven't even had enough for the pandemic, double subsidies, we haven't got them yet. So we have no support for this year's”, Rex stressed.

Another farmer, Faik Verbovci, says they have not yet received subsidies for the second tranche of 2020.

We have nothing, no support... Subventions have not yet been received”, Verbovci said.

Agriculture Policy Department Director Isuf Cikaqi promised that all second subsidies for farmers will be executed by next week.

While drafting the 2021 subsidies programme, he said they are in talks with the Government on how to proceed.

This issue is disturbing and disturbing and prioritizing for our institution and the entire government. A positive clue is that the remainder of last year's unpaid subsidies due to conditions and circumstances already known for opinion are in the final phase, and we believe that within a few days we will end it all. While, for the rest of the drafting or publishing the programme for subsidies, we are in talks with the government and see how it will be done and then there will be public announcements. But for the rest of 2020, they will be executed without care the following days”, Cikaqi stressed.

Otherwise, the Ministry of Agriculture has been subsidising 150 euros for a hectare wheat farmers for, until the country according to the connoisseurs of this field and the ASS does not provide wheat production of more than 35 per cent of the population's needs. However, the rest are covered by imports, mainly from Serbia.

In February and June of this year, two shares have been taken from police units in the Ministry of Agriculture, where about 30 officials of this ministry have been arrested as suspected of misusing the official position in sharing subsidies and grants.