The climate is 'burning' agriculture

Beans, one of Albania's traditional foods, are disappearing from the fields due to climate change. Korça farmers, once the main producers, are facing huge losses, while imports from Egypt have flooded the market.

Monday, for most Albanian families, is “bean day.” A custom passed down from generation to generation, more enduring than any agricultural policy in the country. But this year, traditional hot dishes are being filled with Egyptian beans, because in Korça, once the place where the best legume was produced, the plant did not survive the heat.

Altin Ibrahimi, a farmer from Pojani, who has been involved in agriculture for 20 years, recounts a disastrous year: "I only got 600 kg of beans from 4 hectares. I used to get this amount from 2 hectares."

From an affordable dish for every pocket, beans have become a luxury. Last year, their price went up to 700 lek per kilogram. It is likely that this year will be the same.

"Now we don't know whether we should plant or not, because high temperatures are expected again," says Altini.

Because of the losses, he plans to halve his planting this year.

"I lost 10 million lek and couldn't even put 1 thousand lek in my pocket. I have the seed, but the land is rented and the costs for workers are high"

Many other farmers no longer even have seed to plant. They have to buy it in a market already overrun by imports.

From Korça to Cairo

Instead of collecting them in Korça, we now unload the beans at the port. Data processed by Faktoje shows that bean imports have increased more than fivefold in the last ten years.

In 2014, Albania imported 1,460 tons of beans. Today? Over 7,300 tons. Why? Climate, lack of policies, and the inability to protect farmers.

90% of the beans sold on the Albanian market come from Egypt. Last year, 6,788 tons of beans produced in the northeastern tip of the African continent entered Albania.

“We are increasing consumption, but not production. We are importing more and more — from Africa to the Balkans,” says Ilir Pilku, an expert on agricultural policies.

Lack of policies and workforce

Missing agricultural policies are the main cause of this situation, - emphasizes Professor Pilku, - while adding to this the lack of labor force.

"Beans require many more manual labor days than any other crop. Policies to motivate the workforce are lacking"

Due to climate change, farmers in the southeast have also suffered damage to other crops such as potatoes and onions.

"If every year I water five times, this year I watered ten times just for the potatoes. Even irrigation has a cost," says Altini.

The regions most affected by drought and high temperatures are the South and Southeast, as well as the coastal and lowland areas, which are particularly sensitive to the Mediterranean climate and the effects of global warming.

“Albania faces extreme weather events almost every year that sometimes destroy an entire year of work,” says Esmeralda Ballesha, an expert on agriculture and rural development. “Often they are heavy rainfall, floods or hail.”

"In the last 10 years, 10,000 ha of wheat, 15,000 ha of fodder crops, 1,000 ha of fruit trees and over 1,500 ha of vineyards have been damaged," adds Ndoc Fasllia, a professor at the Agricultural University.

Rito Hamataj, a retired agronomist from the village of Kafaraj in Fier, is the most recent example of the consequences of hail.

“It damaged 400 nectarine roots. Last year I got 200 quintals. This year — zero. I've never seen a storm like this,” he sighs.

While farmers count losses, the Ministry of Agriculture has no concrete figure for damages.

Is there any plan?

According to the response to Faktoje, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development says it has carried out some assessments on climate impacts, but mainly through foreign projects. It admits that it does not have an annual assessment of damages, but “is planning measures such as new techniques, resistant cultivars and protection against hail and floods.”

"The time has come to properly assess the climate change process because the number of entities going bankrupt may increase," says Agim Rrapaj from the Albanian Agribusiness Council.

"If we continue to work without vision, Albania will continue the paradox of where and why it is the most agricultural country in the region, remaining the largest net importer of food," warns expert Esmeralda Ballesha.

Besides the climate, Albania has an even more dangerous factor: political decision-making. Mass emigration, minimal subsidies, the suspension of IPARD funds, and a ministry that calculates by eye, not by numbers, are some of the blows being dealt to agriculture.

This sector is the least funded by the state budget. According to INSTAT, agricultural production shrank by 2.7% year-on-year.

 “Agriculture is like a house without a roof,” says Altin Ibrahimi. “The climate burns the roof off, politics kicks the door down.”

If the climate is burning the land, policies are throwing ashes on top. In a country where agriculture is identity, the lack of protection for farmers is a silent form of abandonment. Beans are just the beginning. The question that remains is: Will we protect this “roofless house”, or will we continue to import everything… except responsibility?/Faktoje.al