More agricultural exports in 2007, the government aims

TIRANA, Dec. 27 – The Albanian government and its agriculture ministry intends to increase albanian exports of agricultural products next year. That means a strengthening of the countryside’s economy and improvement of the agricultural marketing, according to Minister Jemin Gjana. That aims at stregthening the sector of vineyerds, livestock, forestry and fruit trees as the basis for this development. They are expected to be the future of agriculture in the country. The government has set, however, only $5 million for such projects. The total annual budget of the minsitry for 2007 is $54 milion or about 0.6 percent of the budget. The minsiter said that authorities intend to supply the country with the basic food items from the domestic production. After increasing capacities in the above-mentioned areas the government aims at raising their standards so that they may comptete in the eropean market. The albanian countryside still has 54 percent of the population but it produces about halgf the country’s GDP. Agricultural products make up 42 percent of the total imports.