Livestock farmers hand government 7 demands, from excise removal on fuel to fund reallocation

The livestock sector is in difficulty, due to high costs and low subsidies. Sector representatives are again warning of protests if their demands are not met by institutions.

Several representative livestock producers for the sector have already written to Prime Minister Edi Rama, Agriculture Minister Andis Salla and Finance Minister Petrit Malaj, demanding immediate intervention for the state of the dairy sector.

In their letter, the farmers say the sector is in difficult conditions and that the need to resolve the issues has become increasingly urgent.

The farmers recall the agreement reached at the 7 April 2026 meeting with the agriculture and finance ministers, when, according to them, it was agreed that the sector’s issues would be addressed in September. But, according to the farmers, the market situation no longer allows solutions to be postponed.

“Currently livestock farming is in difficult survival conditions and the need to resolve our demands becomes more urgent every day. We waited for September under the agreement made at the meeting of 07.04.2026, but this wait cannot be postponed any further. This stems from the known problems, but also from the unforeseen ones that the market in Albania faces today,” their letter states.

The farmers list 7 concrete demands to the government. One of the sector representatives’ key demands concerns lowering production costs by removing excise and taxes on fuel for the livestock sector.

This demand was also at the center of the farmer protests held at the beginning of April, when they demanded the return of the subsidized fuel scheme. The fuel scheme was removed at a time when fuel and agricultural input prices rose considerably, adding pressure on farmers through higher production costs.

Hundreds of farmers protest, demand return of fuel scheme and higher subsidies

Another concrete financial demand is that the unrealized portion of funds from the 10% VAT compensation scheme be reallocated to subsidize livestock farmers.

So the livestock producers are asking that funds earmarked for the 10% VAT compensation, but unused, be directed toward supporting the livestock sector.

Applications for the 10% VAT compensation started on 1 July. The financial effect in the first year of implementation is estimated at around 1.5 billion lek or about 15 million euros. Farmers have repeatedly said the compensation scheme is not expected to be efficient, since the compensation amount is determined on the basis of self-invoices issued by collectors for purchases made from farmers and livestock breeders, which in many cases they issue with values that serve them for balancing their books.

10% VAT compensation: Livestock Association raises concern over missing self-invoices

Another demand is the review of existing support schemes and an increase in subsidies for livestock farmers. According to producers, the current level of support is not enough to cope with the costs and difficulties the sector faces.

Their other demands are the creation of a state laboratory for milk analysis, the return of tariffs on imported powdered milk and palm oil.

Farmers are asking institutions to strengthen controls on imported milk for prohibited substances. Another problem for them is the content of dairy product labels, in cases where imported milk is used for domestic production.

Even earlier, livestock representatives raised with Monitor the concern over the difficulties the sector is facing and warned of a return to protests at the beginning of September if their demands are not considered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Farmers warn of returning protests in September, want excise-free fuel and subsidies

The livestock producers’ demands

1. Creation of a state laboratory for milk analysis;
2. Lowering the price of fuel for livestock farmers by removing excise and taxes;
3. Imposing tariffs on palm oil products, powdered milk and whey;
4. Reviewing and increasing subsidies granted to livestock farmers;
5. Labelling of products indicating the country of origin of the milk they are produced with;
6. Reallocating the unrealized portion of the 10% scheme to subsidies for livestock farmers;
7. Border controls on imported milk for aflatoxin, protein, fat and microbiological load.

“The above demands are vital for the situation the livestock sector is currently in, and consequently we request a joint meeting with both ministries as soon as possible, since the survival of this sector becomes more difficult every day,” the farmers stress in their letter.