The decline of livestock puts traditional producers in Albania in difficulties

Producers say they are struggling to cope with rising costs and preserve old milk processing skills.

According to them, the departure of young people from many rural areas poses a risk for the near future of livestock and agriculture.

Libohova, a small town in the South of Albania, is known for milk processing thanks to the natural pastures where small cattle are bred. Hilly-mountainous areas preserve vegetation that gives milk and other products their special aroma and taste, says Libohovian researcher Besnik Ismailati.

“The sheep’s cheese produced in the Libohova area is of special quality because the milk is obtained from the polyphytic pastures of the zoën. These pastures are summer and winter and in the south of them there are grassy and leguminous plants that give the milk rare qualities compared to other areas. If you look at the cheese that is produced in the hilly mountainous areas of Libohova in this season, it has the aroma of trendelina that is now found in the pastures”. he says.

Under the feet of the town, a milk processing unit that was created during the years of the regime to supply the communist leadership of Albania has been transformed by the Mahmutaj family with modern equipment where several types of cheese are produced in particular.

Fredi Mahmutaj with an experience of about 35 years leads this enterprise amid challenges that have recently become even more difficult.

“The biggest problem is providing the raw material, milk. It is going towards bankruptcy, we can say, since the young age do not deal with livestock. The breeders who supply me with milk are almost all my age. Let them work for 10 years and they will retire, who will deal with this work”he says.

Mr. Mahmutaj further says that he tries to collect milk from the entire Gjirokastra area based on family experience, but the increase in the price of fuel has increased the costs.

“We burn with gas, we use oil to collect milk. Gas went up, oil went up plus all the crops that are fed to cattle for dairy production all went up. From this increase, the price of cheese will necessarily increase, but as the price increases, the purchasing power falls.”

The non-inclusion of young people endangers this sector in the near future, says Mr. Mahmutaj, and the state must provide support.

“The state must do a job so that it does not fall asleep at night and during the day for this business to run. We are a small country, we are not able to build airplanes, tanks or trains, but the state must prioritize agriculture and livestock farming. In no country in the world is milk taxed at 20% upon purchase.”

Mr. Mahmutaj says that in addition to providing the raw material, preserving the traditional skill of milk processing is very important.

“One hand washes the other, both hands, we say, wash the face, we have an old saying. Thus, the raw material and the craftsmanship are both made together so that the good product comes out”.

The cheese master says that he will try to pass on the experience he got from the first to his successors.

“Four generations deal with this art of milk processing. The first generation is my father who started it in the 60s and I got the craft from him. I am the second generation, the son is the third generation and the grandson who works with us now is the fourth generation. I will try and I will leave it to them to be passed on to other generations, because it is one of the most beautiful crafts, but also the most difficult.”

In a traditional restaurant in Libohove, Sedat Ismailati, a well-known chef says that cheese is an important part of his menu, especially for tourists.

“The cheese of Libohova is original, from a diverse pasture with flowers and wild plants, and it is extremely popular with tourists, like white sliced ​​cheese and ka cheese.Whathorse These original traditional products are a powerful support for Albanian tourism and great care must be taken to preserve them.”

Livestock indicators in Albania, according to official data, worsened during 2021, testifying to a decrease in the number of heads of cattle and small cattle with consequences for milk and meat production.

According to the annual report of the Institute of Livestock Statistics, in 2021 the number of small livestock is about 80 thousand less, compared to 2020.

According to official data, milk production also decreased by about 39 thousand tons in 2021 compared to 2020.

According to official sources, Albania recently increased milk imports, especially from Serbia. During 2021, dairy imports from this country increased by 251% compared to 2020./VOA

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