Sources of infection in the “old” grain of aid More than 100 thousand tons at risk Sources of infection in the “old” grain of aid The grain paradox More than 100 thousand tons at risk ANDREA STEFANI TIRANË — A paradox of the surplus grain from the harvest season, a paradox of abundance. On the one hand, state warehouses are full of grain because they do not want to sell it. On the other hand, the State Reserve warehouses are nearly bursting with more than 100 thousand tons of “old” grain — brought in as aid from the International Community — which has begun to show signs of infection or rot and which the government wants to sell, but cannot. Meanwhile, additional quantities of grain and flour — already causing concern in some circles — whether as aid or imported by private traders, are flooding Albanian shores, making the problem even more complicated. Thus the long-standing “conflict” between domestic grain and imported grain remains unresolved. The government’s timid protectionist measures — it has imposed customs duties and an additional 5+5 percent tax on imported grain and flour — have not produced the expected results. Imported grain continues to remain competitive with domestic grain not only because of its higher quality, but also because the price difference remains minimal. At the same time, fluctuations in foreign currencies against the lek — a very favorable situation for imports — have softened the government’s protectionist measures and continued to keep the ‘morale’ of private traders high. These are the traders who continue to meet 50 percent of the country’s flour needs. And, to everyone’s surprise, the main “enemy” of domestic grain and flour. Alongside it is the grain brought in as aid. ‘There are about 115 thousand tons of aid grain,’ Gazeta Shqiptare was told at the State Reserve Directorate, ‘which are held in our warehouses on behalf of the NFU. And it is grain that offers many services,’ they continue, ‘to eliminate the infection hotspots that have appeared.’ It is clear that this is a quantity of grain that must be disposed of as quickly as possible because it is approaching its expiry date and risks — it is, in other words, still only a risk — rotting. Only a price reduction could speed up its sale. But what would that mean for domestic grain producers? ‘There are only 5 thousand 600 tons of grain collected,’ Gazeta Shqiptare was told at the Grain Collection Directorate, ‘out of around 510 thousand tons expected from nearly 170 thousand hectares planted.’ And it is the specialists who explain here an unusual phenomenon: ‘The price of 12.4 lek per kilogram paid by state enterprises for grain collection does not cover the cost of its production by the farmer.’ It is clear what a further fall in the grain price would mean for these farmers. Meanwhile, the traditional mentality and the grain-cultivation links still continue to prevent the Albanian peasant from replacing them with the real demands of the market and planting the crops that it more strongly requires. And several testimonies like this one from 3 years ago — unfortunately — would give such a push. It seems the grain problem is trapped in the merciless logic of the market economy. Every more courageous action may be followed by a painful chain reaction. Raising the grain collection price paid to farmers would mean making the cost of domestically produced flour more expensive. Lowering the price of aid grain would make it more competitive than domestic grain. Raising customs taxes on imported flour could, for a time, block the country’s supply of essential products. And so on. But something has to be done to find a solution. A truckload of grain

Spread of disease among livestock More than 10 percent of cows affected. Funds are lacking to carry out tests and destroy the sick animals Spread of disease among livestock Elbasan: tuberculosis in the glass of milk? More than 10 percent of cows affected. Funds are lacking to carry out tests and destroy the sick animals ELBASAN — It is striking that the anxiety over the spread of livestock diseases has also reached Elbasan. The worrying results of the first tests — 10 percent of the cows found to be affected by tuberculosis — the inability to have a clear picture of the real situation, the failure to eliminate sick animals, and a milk and meat market that is almost completely outside control have heightened the tension among the population as well as among veterinary specialists themselves. ‘The examination has not been carried out throughout the whole district,’ veterinary agronomist P. i B. of Elbasan told Gazeta Shqiptare, ‘but only in limited areas, because the necessary funds are lacking.’ In fact — according to Mels [?] — the tests were carried out on only 1,000 cows, of which 100 were found to be affected by tuberculosis. But what makes the situation even more serious — apart from not knowing the extent of the disease’s spread — is the fact that, because of the lack of funds, the sick animals are not being destroyed. The villagers continue to keep the affected cows at home, while every day meat and liters of milk enter the market — without undergoing laboratory tests — and may well be traded along with tuberculosis. In this situation, specialists seem to have no choice but to give practical advice to people to buy carefully and be wary of the milk and meat they buy in the market. Meanwhile, concern over tuberculosis has been joined by concern over brucellosis and anthrax. In fact, the first person affected by anthrax has been admitted to the infectious diseases clinic at the city hospital. Fortunately, after the initial treatments, his condition, according to the specialists, appears to have improved. Elbasan Mentor Kikia

TIRANË — The “plight” of Albanian homosexuals now seems to have taken on international dimensions. A foreign organization, the International Lesbian and Gay Association, based in Belgium, has taken the problem of their Albanian illegal “colleagues” all the way to President Berisha. A copy of this letter — which also reached Gazeta Shqiptare anonymously — has been sent to the highest state officials in the country, including the Chairman of the People’s Assembly, the Prime Minister, and the heads of the largest parliamentary parties. The homosexual issue for the President is also a precedent involving a country that is currently facing a legal problem. ‘In amendments 7 and 8 of the report on Romania’s membership in the Council of Europe,’ the letter says, ‘the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe called on Romania to stop punishing homosexuals and to change the law that considers sexual relations in private and acceptable between two adult partners to be a criminal act. After a period of resistance lasting months by some elements of the Romanian Government and Parliament, a bill has now been introduced and is before the deputies of that country.’ For international homosexuals there is no doubt. The Council of Europe will ask the same of Albania too. ‘We are sure,’ their letter says, ‘that the Albanian Government will prefer to show through its actions how it is trying to lead Albania toward a free, democratic and progressive future, rather than place itself in the position of condemning and rebuking nations.’ ‘If this were truly to happen, then it would be an extremely unpleasant situation for the power and authorities of the Albanian state, which would find themselves caught between two fires: on the one hand the pressure of international organizations and on the other the broad and harsh domestic public opinion (favorable to homosexuals) in Albania regarding homosexuality. In short, it will be one more headache for Albanian politicians in this hot season full of serious problems. (t.b.)

Vlora, a boom in the illegal trafficking of women VLORË — The price of illegal passage for Albanians to Italy has fallen. Now, for the organizers of this traffic, it is enough to pay 300 dollars — a few months ago the figure was more than 600-700 dollars — and the road to Otranto is open to anyone. But for the traffickers of refugees, the fall in the price, and therefore in profit, seems unacceptable. And in some way another form has come to them. Now it is more profitable to transport women. Before the speedboat, the cost is about 2,000 dollars, while on the Italian coast this amount rises to 3,000 dollars, and the girl is then forced to work as a prostitute to pay for the trip back. Unfortunately, the demand for this kind of “profession” is increasing. And the majority are young women, mainly students. It happens that, faced with the enormous profits that are made, the temptation is very strong. In just one month, following this trade, they manage to earn — mainly working in cities in northern Italy — sums reaching up to 20 million lire. St. Ma.

Association: “Violence in Krujë” TIRANË — The government continues not to change anything in its position regarding the hunger strike by former persecuted persons. On the other hand, the strikers themselves continue to insist on their demands and say they are determined to continue this serious form of protest. Meanwhile, the court itself seems to have forgotten about it, and from the enforcement offices, by Wednesday evening, the decision declaring it illegal and suspending it had still not been sent to the strike committee. While the strike has now lasted a week, the health condition continues to worsen. On Wednesday in Tiranë, there were also 5 other people who were taken to hospital. Hygienic and sanitary conditions are also deteriorating because of the heat and the lack of water. Meanwhile, on Wednesday the Strike Committee denounced in the territories, in the evening in Krujë, violence against the strikers. According to them, a group of special police forces, wearing masks, assaulted a house where about 20 former persecuted persons were holed up in a hunger strike. They were forcibly seized and taken out of the house. (p., r.)

SOS from Radio Bashkia GJIROKASTËR — There are many areas in the district of Gjirokastër that can no longer follow the waves of the Albanian station. The city’s television repeater has fallen victim to thieves. For several days now, the city transmission point has been left empty. After the disappearance of the reporter, what remains at home is the thieves’ border, who to carry out this theft climbed a 50-meter-high tower. And he did not stop there. Along with the amplifier he took a considerable amount of cable. The absence of the repeater has created a great deal of concern in the city. For this reason, dozens of citizens turned to the Municipality and the law-enforcement forces to take measures and protect the other important materials that remain. (Ra. Ko.)

Summer tragedy PESHKOPI — The tragic end of an 18-year-old girl in one of the lakes of Lurë. This time, the beauty of nature proved merciless and took the life of the young girl, who drowned while calling for help in the waters of the Great Lake. The girl, together with two friends, had gone into the hills to gather medicinal plants. In the forest among the trees. She led her friends toward the Great Lake. She had thrown off her clothes a few steps into the water, but from the depth she immediately disappeared. The body of the young woman [?] help the friends responded by throwing a rope, which the 18-year-old was unable to grasp. The distressing cries reached the shepherd Dervish Buci, who immediately ran toward the lake. But his effort was in vain. From the waters of the lake he was able to pull out only a lifeless body... (p. t.)

CURSIVE REALITY ELBASAN — It was a piece of land and that man, caught in an old childhood adventure, that led the elderly T. K. from Elbasan to climb a fig tree to pick some fruit and come down. But the branch of the tree gave way under him and even the old man’s efforts could not help. He had only managed to hold on below, where his foot had remained stuck. A strong blow to the body proved fatal. A few moments later he died. Elbasan is known for its many figs [?]. Elbasan as the name of the city

They address the faithful and the authorities Appeal of the Catholic bishops They address the faithful and the authorities “Abortion, this grave sin” Appeal of the Catholic bishops SHKODËR — It seems that an unavoidable debate about abortion and contraceptive methods is also about to arise. While a new light is being lit in the network and these are seen and promoted as important tools for curbing population growth, the Catholic Church is condemning this in the harshest language ever. Bishop Frano Illia, President of the Albanian Episcopal Conference and Metropolitan Archbishop of Shkodër, on behalf of the Albanian Catholic episcopate, has issued a stern appeal addressed to ‘all Albanian Catholics inside and outside the Homeland, the communities of Orthodox and Muslim faiths, the Albanian Government and Parliament’ in the most solemn manner, against abortion and against similar acts as a grave sin, a heinous crime, a calamity. It is a serious violation of the Fifth Commandment of God’s law: do not kill. The appeal was written in the Gheg dialect as well. While throughout the country state institutions are promoting and implementing family-planning policy, the Catholic Church has a completely opposite view. ‘Brothers and sisters Albanians! Let us keep our lineage pure, let us raise and strengthen our very noble bloodline so that it stands high among all the peoples of the world. We are few in number and let us not become fewer, but multiply and increase under God’s blessing and the gift of life, which is its crown.’ In fact, abortion and the policy that supports its birth have long been a source of conflict and have posed many technical demands in the Catholic sphere. More than a merely technical problem of family planning, it is also an ethical problem. It is precisely here that the first contradictions between secular and church institutions have arisen, disagreements that are not surprising in countries such as the USA and Europe, and have also sparked extreme polemics. (V.i., a.c.)

SARANDË, A PROGRAM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM IS APPROVED — Millions of dollars in investments in tourism in the Sarandë area. This was foreseen by the plan prepared by the Territorial Regulation Council of the Sarandë district. The project had been submitted by the Milan-based company ‘AX Holding’. It provides for the construction of a tourist beach near the lagoon close to Ksamil, the building of a tourist marina villa at the mouth of the Pavell River, and the construction of the tourist village of Butrint. The eastern side of Lake Butrint. The drafting and approval of the project has sparked criticism from the president of the environmental society PPARADË FASHION PARADE IN BURREL — A fashion parade was also held in the city of Burrel. 20 models presented the latest pieces by designer Elda Jan to the audience. The models shown were mainly youth clothing for the spring season. The fashion parade was conceived not as a simple catwalk but as an artistic spectacle, and also included the foreign orchestra of Macedonia and the comic youth group. SEARCHED ON THE INTERNET, ARRESTED IN BRUSSELS — A 36-year-old Macedonian citizen has been identified in Albania by the law enforcement authorities and has been detained in Brussels; he is guilty of the murder of a journalist in Greece. It is understood that the detainee’s identity and the details of the murder for which he is accused have not yet been disclosed due to the confidentiality of the investigation.

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