AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY IN KOSOVO, 200713

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AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY IN
KOSOVO, 2007-13 Lulzim Shamolli Chief of
Division for Agriculture Policy and Projects 29
July 2009
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• AGRICULTURE RESOURCES

• State owned agriculture land, 12
• Privately owned agriculture land, 88
• Privately owned forest land, 60
• State owned forest land, 40
• 460,000 Owners
• 2.3 million Parcels
• 1,300 Cadastral Areas

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• POPULATION

• Total resident population in Kosovo is estimated
  to be nearly 2 million
• Nearly 2/3 of the population live in rural
  areas
• Nearly 33 of the total population is less than
  15 years old, and more
• than 50 is under 25 and
• Nearly 6 of the total population is more than
  65 years old 61 of the
• total population is active (15-64 years).

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• ARDP 2007-13 was approved by Government in April
  2007

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• Based on the SWOT analysis presented in ARDP
  2007-13, detailed actions were identified to
  allow Kosovo to build on existing strengths,
  overcome weaknesses, take advantage of available
  opportunities, and mitigate against identified
  threats.
• The detailed actions were integrated into ARDP
  2007-13 in the form of
• a general strategy for agricultural and rural
  development
• a series of donor-funded projects in support of
  eight key measures and related institutional
  support
• a National Agriculture Programme (NAP) funded
  through the Kosovo Consolidated Budget (KCB) to
  complement donor funding
• a complementary policy framework/matrix to enable
  the rural private sector to develop
• a legislative and administrative framework for
  implementing ARDP 2009-13, backed up by a
  programme of Twinning
• a programme of cross-border and regional
  development activities and
• detailed sub-sector strategies for key
  commodities underpinned by donor and national
  funding, as well as by the policy, legal and
  administrative frameworks.

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MISSION STATEMENT
The overall vision for agriculture and rural
development presented in ARDP 2007-13 is to
Make a balanced contribution to the economic,
environmental, social and cultural well-being of
rural areas, and Kosovo as a whole, through
effective and profitable partnerships between the
private sector, central/local government and
local communities within the European context.
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Agri-Rural Development Objectives, 2007-13

• additional income for farmers and rural dwellers,
  leading to improved living standards and working
  conditions in rural areas
• improved competitiveness and efficiency of
  primary agricultural production
• improved processing and marketing of agricultural
  produce
• improved on-farm/in-factory quality and hygiene
  standards
• sustainable rural development and improved
  quality of life (including infrastructure)
  through promotion of farming and other economic
• activities that are in harmony with the
  environment
• creation of employment opportunities in rural
  areas and
• alignment of Kosovos agriculture with that of
  the EU.

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• 8 MEASURES RELATED TO THE 4 AXES

• Axis 1 - Competitiveness
• Development of vocational training to meet rural
  needs (Measure 1)
• Restructuring physical potential in the
  agri-rural sector (Measure 2)
• Managing water resources for agriculture (Measure
  3)
• Improving the processing and marketing of
  agricultural products (Measure 4)
• Axis 2 Environment and improved land use
• Agro-environmental support for natural resource
  management (Measure 5)
• Axis 3 Rural diversification and quality of
  rural life
• Farm diversification and alternative activities
  in rural areas (Measure 6)
• Improvement of rural infrastructure and
  maintenance of rural heritage (Measure 7)
• Axis 4 - Community-based local development
  strategies
• Support for local community development
  strategies (Measure 8)

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• UPDATE OF ARDP
• ARDP 2007-13 has now been updated to 2009-13.
• Whilst the focus of the 2007-13 Plan has not
  changed, certain actions and measures have been
  given a higher priority during 2009-13.

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• To be specific, the Minister of Agriculture said
  at the 16th STM meeting in Pristina on 12 June
  2009 that the immediate challenges in 2009-11 are
  to address the short and medium-term priorities
  of the European Partnership for Kosovos
  agri-rural sector, (including forestry and
  fisheries). These include the following actions

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• ACTIVITIES
• Implement secondary legislation related to the
  approved Food Law (Done)
• Use the Kosovo Food and Veterinary Agency to
  reorganise relevant institutions to implement
  this law i.e. establish an unique organisation of
  central, municipal and border inspectors
  (phytosanitary, sanitary and veterinary) (Done)
• Approve the draft Law on Agriculture and Rural
  Development and related secondary legislation
  (Done)
• Create (a) MAFRD as the Managing Authority, (b) a
  Monitoring Committee for ARDP, and (c) a Grant
  Management Committee as the forerunner of the
  Paying Agency (to be named the Kosovo Rural
  Development Agency) (Done)
• Create an inter-ministerial working group to
  formulate a strategy to upgrade agro-processors
  to European standards, based on an EC check list
  (Done)
• Improve the use of agricultural land through land
  consolidation and regulation of unplanned
  commercial constructions
• Focus implementation of ARDP 2009-13 on the
  following priorities
• restructuring the agricultural sector, including
  providing grants for farmers and implementing
  land consolidation (Measure 2)
• supporting irrigation, particularly tertiary
  irrigation, as well as irrigation providers and
  water users associations (Measure 3)
• modernising agro-food establishments that have
  high potential for export and import substitution
  (Measure 4) and
• implementing local community development
  strategies based on the principles of LEADER
  (Measure 8).

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• Thank you for attention.