AAB participates in the discoussion roundtable on agricultural sector lending
On February 6, 2025, the discussion roundtable titled “Agricultural Sector Lending: Identifying Pathways and Creating Instruments for Quality Progress in Agricultural Sector Financing” took place. The event, organized by the Bank of Albania, brought together high-level representatives from the banking sector, government, and businesses to discuss the challenges and opportunities in financing the agricultural sector.
The discussion was opened with welcoming remarks from the Governor of the Bank of Albania, Mr. Gent Sejko, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms. Anila Denaj, the Minister of Finance, Mr. Petrit Malaj, and the Prime Minister of Albania, H.E. Edi Rama. Following the introductory speeches, participants had the opportunity to exchange views and propose concrete mechanisms to foster a more structured and efficient approach to agricultural sector lending.
The President of the Albanian Association of Banks (AAB), Mr. Bledar Shella, highlighted the banking sector’s role in facilitating access to finance for farmers and small agricultural businesses. He provided an overview of the current state of agricultural lending and the challenges the sector faces in securing financing. Key barriers such as informality, land fragmentation, lack of guarantees, and insufficient insurance coverage continue to hinder banks from expanding lending in this sector. A positive development in this regard is the new financing instrument approved by the Bank of Albania, which banks support and plan to integrate into their operations. To further enhance its effectiveness, Mr. Shella suggested complementing it with state-backed guarantees.
AAB remains committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to increase lending and contribute to the development of agriculture in Albania.
