Towards an eco-friendly approach

The life in the Prespa Park revolves around agriculture, but almost everything about it varies from country to country. The prevailing cultures are different: intensive bean-monoculture in Greece, dominating apple production in FYR of Macedonia, and mostly grains in Albania. The same applies to the levels of agricultural mechanization, or the use of pesticides and fertilizers, irrigation techniques, and agricultural waste treatment. Such a variety presents more of an agricultural mosaic with a great potential, than a basin-wide environment-friendly production sector. 

Challenges and remedies

Pesticide and fertilizer use, agricultural runoff due to flood irrigation instead of drip irrigation, and solid waste (pesticide packaging and excess crops) are the main challenges for the development of a sustainable agricultural production system.

Eutrophication from excessive use of manure and other fertilizers for agriculture is considered as one of the main threats for soil quality, with consequences for the future production of crops. Sodium, phosphorus and potassium reach the lakes through soil, surface and underground waters, with a negative impact on aquatic ecosystems and fish.

The old, water-consuming, open-channel irrigation system results in high water, energy and labour consumption, higher production costs, erosion of the soil and washing down of the pollutants into the lakes, with a negative impact on its water quality, fish stocks and avifauna. Replacement of the old irrigation system by the new, drop irrigation significantly reduces water consumption, with the reduction of all the negative effects that this entails: the cost, soil erosion, lakes’ water quality.

In the Greek part of the basin intensive bean cultivation is practiced on a total area of around 1,000ha, while organic bean cultivation was introduced in 1998 and is being expanded since. In Albania, use of pesticides and fertilizers is considered very low, which indicates the area’s potential for organic farming.

Lacking solutions for solid waste, farmers often dispose of them along the roads or rivers. Introduction of sustainable solid waste collection and a transfer system is underway in the Resen municipality (FYR of Macedonia), while it already exists in the Greek part of the basin.

Good Agricultural Practice

Within the frames of the Prespa Park a pilot approach in the development of agriculture is initiated by promoting a large scale implementation of modern concepts in organic farming and stockbreeding  and by enabling the exchange of experiences  across the basin. Priority is given to the use of local varieties and races and to the production of traditional local products with modern methods complying with current standards. In short – working on quality rather than quantity.

The introduction of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) is a major contribution to informing farmers on when, why and what to do in order to secure the production of healthy and safe food, reduce their costs, and protect the environment.

On a national level, GAP supports strategies aiming to achieve benefits for the whole production, distribution and consumption cycle. In practice, this means advice on the quantity of the fertilizers to be used according to the needs of the specific plant and the quality of the soil, based on soil analysis, and application of pesticides as a reaction to precise information on the conditions that favour certain diseases and insects.

In FYR of Macedonia, the necessary information is provided by the newly established agrochemical laboratory for soil and plant testing, and by agro-metrological stations that are also set up in Albania.♦