UNMIK on AIR

29 May 2003

Arable land

(Luan Qorraj)

SLUG: In traditionally agricultural Kosovo, there are more gas stations than corn – the illegal occupation of prime agricultural land costs Kosovo dear.

Hello and welcome to UNMIK ON AIR with Sputnik Kilambi and Martin Redi.

Agriculture has always been a key economic sector in Kosovo. With almost 400 thousand ha of arable land, it was the most important source of food and family income in a region that never had much industry to boast of. But, the interests and income generation of most Kosovars have changed in recent years – the cumulative effect of war, instability and neglect. Land workers spent less and less time on their fields while those who continue to work the land find it increasingly difficult to simply make ends meet.

In the past four years – along with the shift of population from villages to towns, the Kosovar land has become almost forgotten by its owners. What is worse, arable land has started disappearing under the weight of the new constructions that have been mushrooming in Kosovo since 1999. An estimated 20 thousand HA of arable land have been permanently destroyed by construction in the past decade. To put the size into numbers – if that amount of land had been planted with, let’s say, wheat – it would have created an income of roughly 100 million E per year. So where did that land go?

According to Menderes Ibra- the secretary of the ministry of Agriculture, it is very obvious - just take a look around the main Kosovar roads, he says and remember how they looked 5 or six years back when you could drive a long time without seeing one single building:

Menderes Ibra: Unfortunately these pieces of land, which is the best land, are changing their destination. In the first place, there is the land adjoining main roads all over Kosovo. We are witnesses to the fact that now there is practically a connection between all urban centers in Kosovo. And unfortunately, if things continue at this tempo, Kosovo will be turned into one single habitat.

That’s why the ministries of environment and special planning, and the ministry of agriculture- have started an awareness campaign about building on arable land. Another reason was the number of requests made to donors asking for help in developing agriculture. Unfortunately, says UNMIK agricultural economist, Pierre Harrison, current trends are not very helpful:

Pierre Harrison: Until now the agriculture was the main basis of the economy and we ask donors to give us support to re launch agriculture but if at the same time they are building petrol stations everywhere, and other industries, without respecting minimum – good land, first quality land I think there is no future for agriculture in Kosovo.

Besides the obvious problems caused by constructing on arable land, there are other, long-term consequences to be thought of. The revival of Kosovar agriculture would open up an estimated 50 to 70 thousand new jobs for work hungry Kosovars. It would also mean keeping the rural population in their native areas and easing the problems of infrastructure faced by most Kosovar cities. Menderes Ibra:

Menderes Ibra: This destruction of arable land is causing other, chain reactions, like the migration of population from rural to urban areas – especially the population from hills into the planes. Then there are infrastructure problems, which follow this building trend. Then there are, for example, social problems – since people from rural areas are now in crisis they cannot generate any income.

And even the ones who have decided to stay in their villages rarely produce more than they need for their family. The main reason is that it’s just not worth it any more. That’s another paradox of post war Kosovo - it is easier to, for example, import potatoes than grow them here. The current tax regime is blamed for this situation, explains Pierre Harrison, but he is hopeful that things may be moving forward.

Pierre Harrison: The main problem is that 80-85% of the Kosovar budget comes from customs at the borders. And for the moment they need that for the Kosovo budget and we have to convince them that if they develop agriculture they will have another way to recuperate taxes and at the same time develop agriculture in Kosovo and employment.

But time is beginning to run out - if the unchecked growth of illegal construction is not stopped soon, the fertile land of Kosovo will be growing nothing but concrete buildings in the future.

A sober thought to end this edition of UNMIK ON AIR. Thanks for listening.