Tips for Farmers

Public Advisory Service

The advisory service (agricultural extension) is one of the important instruments for the realization of MBZHRAU policies. In our country, although one can talk about a pluralistic extension system, with many actors such as (public services, NGOs, projects financed by donors, etc.), the public advisory service is currently the largest, most organized and extended provider in the entire territory of the country.

It cooperates and coordinates its activity with other service providers, part of the national agricultural knowledge and information system.

The mission of this service is to provide and provide technical and economic information and knowledge to increase production and income for different categories of farmers. This service is provided free of charge to farmers and is mainly financed by MBZHRAU.

The public advisory service, at the central level, is organized by MBZHRAU (Agricultural Advisory and Cooperation Sector)

At the regional level, it is represented by the Advisory Service Sectors in the Directorates of Agriculture, where, in accordance with the specifics of each region, there are 3-4 profiled specialists (Horticulture, Plant Protection, Zootechnicians and Economists).

Agricultural Information Centers and extensionists, where an agricultural specialist/extensionist operates, develop their activities at the field level.

These centers offer to farmers, but also to agribusiness, information on: techniques and technologies for crop and livestock production, quality inputs, legislation, farm management, farmers’ cooperation, business plans, credit opportunities, marketing of agricultural products, prices of markets, production potentials, processing possibilities, disease and pest forecasting, food safety, etc.

The advisory service is present in the community of farmers with various forms of communication and with a series of programmed activities such as: demonstrations, field days, individual meetings and group meetings, visits, trainings, fairs, seminars, workshops, leaflets, publications, activities for the development of farmers’ associations, writings, television programs and chronicles, videos, etc. Every year, through a training program, the qualification of extensionists, farmers and other interested parties is realized.

The public advisory service also cooperates with other advisory service providers such as public providers (QTTB, Agricultural University), private service providers, producer organizations and non-governmental organizations.

The important activity of the advisory service is also the promotion of the organization of farmers. For this, various activities are carried out such as training and activities for the promotion and operation of agricultural cooperatives, registered according to the Law “On Agricultural Cooperative Societies”, No. 38, dated 04.05.2012, and other forms of farmers’ organization.

Organic Agriculture has already become an important part of the advisory service program, with the aim of encouraging and spreading knowledge about organic agriculture among producers.

This service plays an important role in the implementation of support schemes.

In the national support schemes, this service informs the farming community about these schemes, helps in filling out applications, drawing up implementation projects and during the process continuously assists the farmers who win the grande.

In the grand scheme “IPARD-LIKE” for the development of the Agri-Food Sector in Albania, advisors support applicants and potential beneficiaries (farmers and agro-processors) in the process of promotion, information, application and implementation of investment projects.

All the annual activity of this service is based on the annual counseling program drawn up according to the planning methodology with the participation of the farmers themselves, and the implementation of this program is periodically monitored.