Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profiles

REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO

by Dr. Muhamet A. Kamberi

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FAO 2009

CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
Population Land area, arable and pastoral areas

5
5 6

2. SOILS AND TOPOGRAPHY

Major soil types

8
8

3. CLIMATE AND AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES

Climate River systems Agro-ecological zones

10
10 10 10

4. RUMINANT LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

TDairy cattle Sheep Breed structure of sheep Goats Equidae Export and import markets Milk and milk products Meat and meat products Farming sectors Traditional systems (pastoral and agro-pastoral, mixed smallholder, landless systems)

11
11 12 13 14 14 14 15 15 15 15

5. THE PASTURE RESOURCE

Pastoral vegetation Grazing lands Arable land grazing Use of mineral and organic fertilizers Legislation and government for livestock fodder and pastures

16
16 18 18 19 19

6. OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF FODDER RESOURCES

Development of pastures and meadows Pasture survey Infrastructure

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20 20 20

7. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND PERSONNEL 8. REFERENCES 9. CONTACTS

20 21 21

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

1. INTRODUCTION
The Republic of Kosovo occupies a central part of the Balkan Peninsula with 700.7km of land boundaries and an area of 10 908 km2. It borders Serbia to the north and east (351.6 km), Macedonia to the south (158.7 km), Albania to the southwest (111.8km ) and Montenegro to the northwest (78.6 km) (Source: Kosovo Cadastral Agency). [see map 1] Kosovo lies between N 43016; S 41053; E 21016; W 19059, and is a geographical basin, at an altitude of about 500 m, surrounded by mountains and divided by a central north-south ridge in two sub-regions of roughly equal size and population. (Source: SOK, Cartography). Population The most recent census in Kosovo was in 1991. Estimates of the present population vary from 1.8 to 2.4million. Map 1. Geographical position of Kosovo Kosovos total resident population was Source: World Factbook estimated at about two million in mid Table 1. Kosovos population and ethnic structure 2000 by UNMIKs Department for Year Population By ethnicity Local Administration. In the Living Albanians Serbs Others Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS) 1971 1 243 093 916 316 228 264 98 661 2000, the population was estimated 1981 1 584 196 1 226 736 209 798 147 906 1991 1 956 196 1 596 072 194 190 165 934 at 1.97 million. The Labour Force 2008 Estimate 2 126 708 1 871 503 131 005 6 550 Survey (LFS) 2001 and the IMF have estimated the population at about 1.9 million. Other estimates indicate a resident population in Kosovo of about 1.9 million. According to the World Factbook the population estimate for July 2009 is 1804838. All sources agree that Kosovo has a very high population density of approximately 175220 inhabitants/km2. According to LSMS (2000), 88% of the population were ethnic Kosovo Albanians. Ethnic Serbs accounted for Figure 1. Ethnic structure of Kosovo population 7%, while other ethnic groups (e.g. Gorani, Roma and Egyptian) together accounted for approximately 5%. The same relative distribution on ethnicity has been found in other household surveys e.g. LFS (2002) and Household Budget Survey (HBS) 2002. Table 1 shows the population of Kosovo, based on the census of 1971, 1981, 1991 and the estimations of World Factbook. At the end of the Second World War, Kosovo was a predominantly rural society with 80% of the population in rural areas. In 1991, the population was still 63% rural. In 2000, the LSMS estimated the rural population at over 60%. The population is young. About 33% is under 15 years old and more than half are under 25. About 6% is over 65. The active population (1564 years) is 61% of the total. This

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

is a huge potential labour force especially for agricultural production, an issue to be seriously taken into consideration by all stakeholders. In 2004 the rural population accounted for nearly 60% of the total of 1.9million, having decreased from 68% in 1981 to <65% in 1998. There was no significant change between the urban and rural population until 1999, when, due to very hard living and working conditions as a consequence of the war when their animals were either stolen or killed and homes burnt, a significant part of the rural population moved to urban areas, seeking safer housing and better living conditions. This migration has directly influenced agriculture especially in areas where most land is under pastures. When compared to other countries, Kosovos share of rural population to total population is still high e.g. Croatia (42%), Slovenia (43%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (55%). Riinvest (2002): Map 2. Kosovo administrative map Survey on Household and Labour Market. The Agricultural Family Survey of SOK (2006) gives 1437585 inhabitants living in agricultural families. An agricultural family, or economy, is considered one which has at least 0.1 ha of arable land or has at least a dairy cow and a calf, or a dairy cow and a heifer; a dairy cow and two sheep or grown goats; five sheep or goats; four sheep and pigs together; three grown pigs; 50 grown fowl; 20 bee hives, more than 20m2 of fish pond. The age group is from 1529 years (29.1%) while those over than 65 years represent only Figure 2. Relative land use in Kosovo 6.5% of the population. Kosovo is divided into five main regions (Prishtina, Gjilan, Peja, Prizren and Mitrovica), and two sub regions (Ferizaj and Gjakova). Currently it is divided into 30 municipalities (see Map 2) and about 1500 villages. Land area, arable and pastoral areas According to the Kosovo Forest Agency 42% of Kosovo is covered by forest, 31% or 342 400 ha is agricultural land while 13.95% or 153200ha are under pastures and meadows. There is one hectare of arable land per 67 inhabitants. Figure2 shows more detailed information on relative use of the land. Agriculture is the main economic activity and the sector which provides most employment in post-war Kosovo. The agriculture and rural development plan 20072013 (2006) estimated that 145 000 people or 42% of the employed population were engaged in agriculture. Agricultural production contributes approximately 25% of Kosovos GDP. After the conflict most farmers returned, rebuilt their houses and began
Table 2. Structure of agricultural land

Cereals Industrial plants Vegetables Potatoes Vineyards Fruit Pastures Meadows Forage plants Wasteland

Area ha
193078 2520 21500 7500 4891 4542 166769 86000 38000 52200

% of agricultural land
33.46 0.44 3.73 1.30 0.85 0.79 28.90 14.90 6.59 9.05

Source: Cadastral registry of Kosovo (data presented in Agricultural Statistics of Kosovo, 2007).

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

farming. Kosovo has a high agrarian density, insufficient agricultural mechanization and an unbalanced cropping pattern. Based on the 2004 Reinvest family survey, only 49% of families have a tractor, 8.5% borrow a tractor, 23% rent a tractor and about 19% do not use tractors at all. There is a larger shortage of associated equipment and motor cultivators. This is especially true in hilly areas where about 33% of farmers possess some equipment, 7% borrow, 18% rent and 42% do not use such equipment. Less than 50% of Kosovos agricultural land is arable and cereals predominate with 33%. There are considerable areas under pasture which represent one of the main potential resources for livestock production, especially in mountainous areas (see Table2). Data of the areas differs depending on the source and ranges from about 150000-180 000 ha. The areas of pastures by municipalities are given in Table 3. The yield of feed produced on both cultivated and natural lands is still very low, due to many factors including, soil quality, limited use of fertilizers, small area under irrigation, dry conditions in many parts of the country. Areas planted to different crops and yields (20012003) are given in Table 4. According to these data, potential fodder and feed production areas of Kosovo are: 161536ha with cereals 2420ha with oilseeds 38000ha with legumes for hay 266000ha with pastures and meadows These areas are an important source for animal feed, and based on the number of livestock and while the yields reported are low, a considerable supply of main feedstuffs is available (see Table 5). Demand for concentrate feed ingredients (cereals) and especially oilseed by-products (oilseed meals) still remains high, but the amount of roughages is very close to meeting needs.
Concentrated feeds (tonnes)
242560 maize 507323 wheat bran* 14238oats 1 951rye 8 519barley

Table 3. Areas under pastures by municipality, ha

Municipality
Dean Gjakov Glogoc Gjilan Dragash Istog Kaanik Klin Fush Kosov Kamenic Mitrovic Leposaviq Lipjan Novo Brd Obiliq Rahovec Pej Podujev Prishtin Prizren Skenderaj Shtime Shtrpc Suharek Ferizaj Viti Vushtrri Zubin Potok Zvean Malishev Total

Private
400 4 200 400 600 2 000 4 800 6 800 200 200 800 800 400 800 22 400

State
1 400 2 000 400 3 800 800 1 400 400 200 600 11 000

Not defined
5 1 2 4 13 2 3 2 3 2 8 5 1 2 4 7 5 3 4 2 7 5 3 4 1 2 3 2 3 119 400 800 800 400 200 400 200 400 000 400 000 200 600 800 400 000 200 200 600 600 200 400 400 000 000 200 800 800 800 600 800

Total
7 8 3 4 17 2 3 2 3 2 8 8 1 2 4 13 12 3 5 2 8 5 3 4 1 3 3 2 4 153 200 000 200 800 600 400 200 400 000 400 000 000 600 800 400 000 400 400 600 000 400 200 400 800 600 200 200 800 800 400 200

Source: Kosovo Forest Agency (in Agricultural Statistics, 2007)

Table 4. Average areas planted and yields (20012003)

Type of crop Area, ha
Wheat Maize Grain Oats Rye Barley Soya bean Sunflower Forage Legumes Meadows Pastures Other 72 108.7 72 047.7 12 943.7 886.7 3 549.7 190 1 600 38 000 86 000 180 000 109 623

Average Yield , tonnes/ha

2.60 3.37 1.10 2.20 2.40 1.00 1.10 3.17 2.33 1.33

Total Total, tonnes/year

187 242 14 1 8 1 120 200 240 483 560 238 951 519 190 760 333 667 000

Source: Agricultural statistics (2007) Department for Plant Production & Protection Monitoring Unit, of MAFRD

Table 5. Potential domestic production of animal feed in Kosovo

Roughages (tonnes)
120 333 of Legume hay 200 667 of meadow hay 240 000 from pastures

* It is common practice in Kosovo for farmers to give wheat to mills and after deduction of 18% grist they receive about 50% flour and 33% wheat bran.

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

2. SOILS AND TOPOGRAPHY

Major soil types According to a digital map of soil types (scale 1:50000) provided by the Institute of Soil Sciences of the University of Prishtina (Elezi et al. 2004) and referring to the WRB-soil classification (IUSS Working Group WRB, 2006), the most frequent soil types in the plains are fluvisols. In the hilly areas vertisols, cambisols and regosols are widespread. In general, the agricultural soils are significantly modified. Especially irrigation (mainly in the western part of Kosovo) and soil alteration are crucial factors that have impacted on pedogenetic processes over centuries. Kosovo possesses diverse soils, even though its territory is small. This is a result of the landscape structure, geographic base, flora, climate and hydrography. It is estimated that 15% of Kosovos soil is of high quality, 29% is medium quality, and 56% is poor quality. The high and medium quality soils account for 44% of total land. They are composed of humus soil (11%) that is mostly distributed in the Kosovo plain, grey carbonate land (8.4%), alluvial (7.8%) and other dark and serpentine soils. Poor quality soils are mostly laid on hilly and mountainous areas. They are composed of acidic grey soils, diluvial lands, swamps and other infertile soils. Fertile soil has been lost to house and road constructions, mine dumpsites and other constructions and about 1015 % of the agricultural land of Kosovo is fallow land (Mehmeti et al., 2009). However, in the recent past, the reasons for abandonment changed: the fallow land nowadays includes land that either left the agricultural sector as construction land, or was abandoned from cultivation due to poor soil quality (e.g., shallow calcareous soils) or high prices of agricultural inputs (e.g. fertilizer, seed, and fuel). The most widespread soil types and their distribution is presented according to Elezi et al. (in press) and also see Map 3:

Map 3. Pedological map of Kosovo

(Elezi et al. 2004)

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

LITHOSOL This type of soil is found in volcanic, sedimentary and metamorphicrocks. It is mainly distributed in hilly-mountainous areas such as the Albanian Alps, Sharri Ridge, Karadak, Kopaonik Ridge, Bjeshkt and Karadakut in Pej, Gjilan, Leposaviq, Prizren. This type of soil occupies around 42143ha or 3.87% of total area. COLLUVIUM Processes of the pedogenesis of this type ofsoil are specific to hollows. In Kosovo there are 69830ha or 6.42% of Colluvium and it lies in the municipalities of Prizren, Hollows of OpojaDragash, Suhareka, Shterpca, and Istog. RENDZINA Lies in lower areas and according to the Pedologic map is more represented in municipalities of Sknderaj where it takes 48% of areas of this type, then in Klina, istog, etc. Total area under this soil type for Kosovo is 26332ha or 2.42%. RANKERS Rankers are soils of hilly-mountainous areas. Mostly found in: Dragash, Leposaviq, Prizren, Mitrovic, Gjakov, Shterpc, etc. and cover 121822ha or 11.24% of the total area. VERTISOL this type of soil is formed in valleys (200600 m elevation). Vertisols are present in all forms of relief but mainly in flat lake terraces under semi-arid climate. This is a very common soil in Kosovo and covers considerable areas (108 444 ha or about 10%) in the municipalities of Lipjan, Rahovec, Vushtrri, Kamenic, Gjilan, Drenas, Ferizaj, Prishtin, etc. CAMBISOL based on their distribution, cambisols (Eutric and Distric) represent nearly half (47%) of the total area of Kosovo. Eutric cambisol takes 173710ha or 16%, and is more present in municipalities of Prishtina, Podujeva, Leposaviq, Gjilan, Zubin Potok, Kamenica, etc. Distric cambisol takes 282802ha or 26% of the total area. It lies in all regions of the country but is more present in Kamenic, Gjilan, Podujev, Kaanik, Gjakov, etc. CALCOCAMBISOL There are 32631ha or 3% of the total area under calcocambisols mainly in the region of Peja, Istog, Gjilan, Zubin Potok, Dean, etc. TERRA ROSSA Although terrarosa belongs to the Mediterranean zone, it is present in continental karstic lands, or in places where carbonate rocks predominate. There are 27845ha or 2.56% of the areas under this type of the soil and the municipalities where it is found are Malisheva (with about 26%), followed by Prizren, Klin, Gllogovc, Gjakov, etc. FLUVISOL This type of soil is present in flooded zones by rivers and takes 83862 ha or 7.71% of the area. These are the well known regions of vegetable production (near the White Drini river) in Peja, Gjakova, Klina to Prizren, but also near other rivers in the municipalities of Dean, Vushtrri, Podujev, etc. PSEUDOGLEY Is present in semi-humid and humid regions with more than 700mm of rainfall. This soil is present in Gjakova, Viti, Ferizaj, Podujev, Prizren, Gllogovc, Istog, etc. with totally 40245ha or 3.7%). SEMIGLEY this type of soil is usually associated with fluvisols and takes only 1.26% of the area with most present in Rahovec, Lipjan, Gjilan, Viti, Gjakov, Shtime, Ferizaj, etc.

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Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

3. CLIMATE AND AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES

Climate Kosovo lies in the south of the northern hemisphere, under Mediterranean-continental and Europeancontinental climatic influences. The main macro climatic factors that influence its climate are: positioning of land masses (Eurasia and Africa), aquatic masses (Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea), aerial masses (tropical and arctic-maritime or continental) and position of baric systems (maximum of Azores and minimum of Iceland). The main factors influencing Kosovos climate are: relief, waters, terrain and the vegetation. (Source: Hydro-Meteorological Institute of Kosovo). Kosovos climate (see Table 6) is moderate continental with warm summers and cold winters. In the plains and adjacent hilly areas, where there is a continental climate, air temperature may range from minus20C in the winter to +35C in the summer. In the Kosovo plain about 170200 days/year are frost-free and the mean annual rainfall is about 650mm. In the Dukagjini plain, the annual rainfall is higher (about 780 mm) and the frost-free period is longer (up to 225 days), indicating a pronounced Mediterranean climate influence in the western part of Kosovo. Overall the average annual rainfall is up to 700m but its distribution is not very good. In Eastern Kosovo and the lowlands of Kosovo, Llapi, Drenica and Ana-Morava, it is a little colder compared with Dukagjini (western part). Average annual temperature is 9.5C, with fluctuations from 19.2C for July and 1.3C (January). River systems Kosovos main rivers are Drini i Bardh (122km), Sitnica (90km), Bistrica e Pejs (62km), Morava e Binqs (60km), Lepenci (53km), Ereniku (51km), Ibri (42km) and Bistrica e Prizrenit (31km). There are 5 lakes larger than 2.5km2. One characteristic of the hydrography is that rivers flow from Kosovo to the Adriatic Sea, the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. Precipitation is mainly as rain in valleys and snow in higher, mountainous regions (Bjeshkt e Nemuna and Sharri). In Eastern Kosovo average precipitation is over 600 mm, while in the west it exceeds 700 mm. In the Bjeshkt e Nemuna mountains there are cases of 1 750 mm precipitation. Snowfall is common during the colder period of the year. In the lowlands there is an average of 26 days with snow, while in mountain areas there are more than 100 days. Total precipitation looks almost satisfactory, but due to very big fluctuations between months, agricultural production in regions with no irrigation often faces droughts or floods. Figure 3 shows the five-year (20022006) average, minimum and Table 6. Main meteorological indicators for Kosovo maximum values of precipitation. Parameter 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Average Average wind speed fluctuates between T max C 14.7 16.5 16 15.6 16.4 15.8 1.3 m/sec (in Peja) to 2.4 m/sec (in Ferizaj). T min C 5.2 6.1 5.6 5.6 5.2 5.5 Maximum wind speed reaches 31 m/sec T Avg C 10.6 11.2 11 11.1 11 11.0 86 72 73.7 72.7 73.7 75.6 usually during March and April. Kosovo has Humidity, % 1.7 1.7 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.5 insolation levels of 2 066 hours during the Wind m/sec Precipitation, mm 722.7 667.5 762.6 739.1 689.9 716.4 year and 5.7 hours per day.
Source: Hydro-meteorological Institute

Agro-ecological zones Kosovo is divided into three zones which developed in the Oligo-Miocene ( Gashi & Spaho, 2002):Two plains, the Dukagjini plain in the west and the Kosovo plain in the east with adjacent hilly areas divided by rivers mainly originating in surrounding mountain areas. Altitude ranges from 265 m to 2656m above sea level, with about 80% of the area below 1 000 m. In most of Kosovos plains and adjacent hilly areas, climate and soils are suitable for agriculture.

Figure 3. Precipitation variability (20022006)

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4. RUMINANT LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

The livestock sector faced the same difficulties as other agricultural enterprises and because of the conflict, it was estimated that over 50% of livestock was lost. This was associated with damage to livestock infrastructure which has not yet returned to a desirable level. This situation led to shortages of animals and animal products, which had to be imported. Farmers were faced with problems in recovering these losses. Some donors played a valuable role helping in livestock repopulation and breed improvement. At least 10 000 pregnant heifers of good breeds were imported and distributed to farmers. Livestock numbers by municipality are shown in Table 7. As reported by SOK, AHS Survey (2006), animal numbers (see Table 8) differ from those given by MAFRD, Identification and Registration Office of VFA (2003). The relative structure of animals in Kosovo is shown in Figure 4. TDairy cattle Dairy cows comprise the biggest livestock population. Of 250000 cattle, about 140000 170 000 are cows. The various breeds are shown in Figure 5.
Municipality.
Dean Gjakova Gllogovc Gjilan Dragash Istog Kaanik Klina F.Kosovo Kamenica Mitrovica Leposaviq Lipjan N. Brd Obiliqi Rahovec Peja Podujeva Prishtina Prizren Skenderaj Shtime Shtrrpc Suhareka Ferizaj Viti Vushtrri Z. Potok Zvean Malisheva Total

Figure 4. Relative structure of animals in Kosovo

Table 7. Situation of livestock in Kosovo by municipality

Dairy
5421 13340 4700 5500 7200 8500 3760 8500 500 6000 1380 4000 6227 700 2500 5947 11 550 6500 3000 8000 10285 1418 1923 4214 12500 5681 7530 2000 1214 6688 166678

Heifers
1721 2410 1470 2000 800 4500 150 2000 0 2000 5870 120 230 2700 3700 1146 2332 500 2100 238 385 613 2500 1270 700 482 1528 43465

Calves
1920 2520 4060 2000 400 3000 2578 300 2000 0 500 1512 480 200 2000 2500 3200 450 5200 359 625 1479 3509 2150 1500 211 1700 46353

Cattle total
9062 18270 10230 9500 8400 16000 6338 8500 950 10000 1380 6500 13609 1300 2930 10647 17750 10846 5332 8950 17585 2015 2 933 6306 12500 11690 10950 4200 1907 9916 256496

Sheep
2500 2900 2865 1200 25200 210 1761 1440 110 6000 4609 5000 1500 490 350 4250 4300 4050 3900 21200 1650 600 5500 1403 3500 100 2130 4500 485 6395 120098

Goats
180 190 1440 1500 30 40 234 613 1000 200 600 470 85 873 250 30 1100 470 150 700 380 230 382 500 84 1393 13124

Horses
350 480 60 500 499 45 600 60 1100 60 300 280 382 500 456 5672

Swine
57 5200 1 7241 444 1564 5029 404 5472 7149 691 1360 177 1263 4896 839 269 1513 82 3006 5074 2362 1304 13 40903

Source: Identification and Registration office of MAFRD, Veterinary Food Agency

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Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

Sheep Kosovo has a very good tradition of sheep production; their numbers were increasing until the end of the 80s and beginning of the 90s. Sheep production is one of the sectors within Kosovo agriculture that suffered the most severe decline in the post-war period.By November 2001, sheep populations were at 56% of their pre-war levels. The number of sheep reached its peak of 644000 in 1961 (see Figure 6). It decreased rapidly at the beginning of the 1990s and especially after 1996 and according to data collected from field officers of the Department of Livestock this number is under 100000, which is the lowest in the last 70 years. The sheep population by region is shown in Table 9. If we take the dry matter needs of a sheep as 2.5 kg/day, even with an average yield of 1.5 tonnes/ha, current pasture production allows for an increased number of sheep. Photo 1 shows sheep grazing at around 1500m altitude. The use of the available pastures is limited and could be more efficient because as is shown in the figure and table above there

Table 8. Number of animals OctoberNovember, 2006

Type of animal Number of animals In small Big and Total farms specialized farms
379 029 81 512 61 886 21 506 7 424 203 892 2 548 261 68 096 41 760 18 051 8 285 95 887 15 364 62 807 6 398 11 318 7 260 6 585 675 2 224 386 2 037 233 187 153 72 007 2 966 667 421 236 129 1 490 11 12 127 90 27 10 17 056 2 973 12 065 1 207 811 88 78 10 300 147 299 853 294 162 381 995 82 179 62 307 21 742 7 553 205 382 2 559 273 68 223 41 850 18 078 8 295 112 943 18 337 74 872 7 605 12 129 7 348 6 663 685 2 524 533 2337086 187 447 72 169

Cattle Calves younger than 6 month Calves and heifers 6-12 month Calves and heifers1-2 years Bulls and heifers, more than 2 years Dairy cows Oxen Buffaloes Swine Piglets, up to 6 months Breeding sows Breeding herds Sheep and goats Lambs Breeding ewes Breeding rams Goats Horses and donkeys Horses Donkeys Poultry Chicken Other fowl Bee hives
SOK AHS, 2006

Figure 5. Relative structure of cow breeds in Kosovo

Figure 6. Changes in sheep numbers in Kosovo

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

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is still room for more sheep. The main Table 9. Current situation of sheep population in the negative factors for the sheep industry regions of Kosovo I&R* Livestock Pastures, Sheep/ha which have caused a decrease in the number Region dpt. ha I&R* Livestock of sheep are: lack of interest of people to dpt. deal with this business, low profitability. Prizren 58 448 55 387 51 289 1.14 1.08 Ferizaj 11 361 5 031 4 062 2.80 1.24 Problems in sale of products are: Prishtin 12 775 17 354 14 596 0.88 1.19 poor herd management skills, Gjakov 5 400 10 912 12 154 0.44 0.90 lost market Gjilan 7 790 7 460 5 313 1.47 1.40 very poor/no linkages in the relation Pej 5 950 8 610 11 448 0.52 0.75 of farm-market/consumer, Mitrovic 18 374 13 555 11 509 1.60 1.18 variable/inconsistent product quality, 120 098 118 309 110 371 1.26 1.11 * I&R = Identification and Registration packaging, and a not clearly defined political and economic environment In poor management of sheep production, poor/not controlled reproduction, poor/not balanced nutrition, low yield of pastures/unmanaged grazing represent the main factors causing low production, while lack of associations/companies which will organize/help the system of sale, no marketing, bad or no packaging, not clear political and economical situation of Kosovo, causes problems in commercialising of products such as milk, cheese, wool and skins. Because breeding is one of the most Photo 1. Mixed flock of sheep grazing at about 1500m important segments in animal production altitude we should take into consideration some key factors that can help to improve reproductive efficiency and animal production results in general: good rams-high fertility and body condition of rams; selection of sheep and rams with proven production abilities only introduction of genetics; replacement of flock-selection of the females for growth; proper nutrition and body conditioning prevention of underfeeding/overfeeding and misbalanced feeding; specified breeding programme; culling of unproductive animals There is a general opinion that low reproduction rate is mainly due to a large number of abortions caused by: poor nutrition; poor condition of ewes; consumption of frozen grass and too much salt; contagious micro-organisms. In terms of identifying correct answers it is necessary to do more field and diagnostic work to determine the main causative agents in a way to develop a good preventive programme that will be introduced to farmers. Breed structure of sheep Unfortunately there is still a lack of accurate published data on the breed structure of the sheep in Kosovo. Earlier estimations of the Department of Livestock Production of MAFRD were that crosses of Sharri sheep with Wurttemberg make at least 50% of the population, followed by Bardhoka with 30%, Kosovo sheep with 15%, Balusha with 3% and 2 % of other undefined strains (see Photos 2 and 3). According to the Kosovo Centre for Livestock Breeding (EU founded project) the breed structure of the sheep in Kosovo is as shown in Figure 7.

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Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

Photo 2. Local Sheep breeds of Kosovo. Bardhoka (left) and Sharri sheep (right)

Photo 3. Other local sheep, Kosovo (left) and Balusha sheep (right)

Goats Goat production does not play any important role in Kosovo. As given in Table 8 goats make up only 3% of the livestock population. Due to increased demand for goat milk and kid-meat, especially during the last decade, there are some more serious efforts from enthusiastic farmers in increasing the numbers of these animals. Equidae As with goats the situation is even worse with Figure 7. Structure of sheep breeds in Kosovo equines. Horses represent just one percent of the livestock population and their number is falling rapidly. This is mainly because of mechanization and the increasing use of tractors in lowland areas. Horses and donkeys were traditionally used for agricultural and other purposes especially in hilly-mountainous regions where tractors and other mechanization could not work. Because of the high rate of migration of the population to urban areas and a disinterest in farming in such places the need for these animals is becoming less and less. Export and import markets The Kosovo economy is mainly import oriented. According to the Statistical Office of Kosovo, imports take more than a billion . Food imports varied from about 34% in 2003 to 24% in 2005. From the total imports offood, prepared foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco comprise 57% followed by vegetable products with 20%, live animals 19% and animal and vegetable fats 4%.

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

15

Milk and milk products Consumption of milk products in Kosovo is estimated at 170kg/person/year, and 76% of this is supplied from domestic farms. Based on data from the Border Services processed and published by the Statistical office of MAFRD, there was a high import:export disproportion in milk and milk products during 2006. It is reported that an import volume of almost 60millionkg of this product and 24million were paid. Export values are very low and count less than a million kilograms and return of 80000 .

Table 10. Agricultural land based on the size and the structure of the farm
Farm size (ha)
0-0.5 0.51-1 1.01-1.5 1.51-2 2.01-3 3.01-4 4.01-5 5.01-6 6.01-8 8.01-10 over 10 TOTAL

Small Nr of farms
26074 48757 59307 15877 25276 6444 3738 2346 2079 1002 1535 192 435

%
13.55 25.34 30.82 8.25 13.13 3.35 1.94 1.22 1.08 0.52 0.80 100

Big specialized farms Nr of % farms

9 10 9 9 17 31 20 18 34 20 90 267

TOTAL Nr of farms %
13.54 25.34 30.82 8.26 13.14 3.36 1.95 1.23 1.10 0.53 0.84 100

Meat and meat products This import:export disproportion is also reported in relation to meat and meat products. Imports of more than 2million of live animals (cattle, pigs Source: SOK, Agricultural Household Survey, 2006 and poultry) and 21 million for meat and meat products was reported compared with exports of just 215807 and 35000 for live animals and meat and meat products respectively. Farming sectors The Kosovo farming sector changed rapidly after 1999, by changing ownership of land and other agricultural infrastructure. Most land is privatised or is in process. One problem is farm size. Minimum farm size to be considered has changed from 0.1 ha in 2004 in 0.5 ha in 2005. Based on the 2006 Agricultural Household Survey, the Statistical Office of Kosovo made the grouping of farms as shown in Table 10. Most of the land is in farms of 0.12ha. This certainly affects development of agriculture. Traditional systems (pastoral and agro-pastoral, mixed smallholder, landless systems) Ruminant production systems in Kosovo are traditional and characterized by small farms and a low intensity of use of resources. Property status of pastures is still not defined and farmers use them by uncontrolled free grazing (see Photo 4.). The grazing systems used depend on the situation and the region. Farmers from lowland zones use meadows and fallows usually till the end of April or beginning of May, depending on weather conditions. Thereafter they move their stock to higher regions and stay there till autumn (end of September-October). Summer months are problematic when rainfall is low and feed gaps are possible. Usually there is quite good vegetation during September, October and November. This justifies the tendency of increased number of farms and the number of animals per farm in lowland zones. These farmers are in a better position than those in hilly areas, since they can use mountain pastures almost for free during summer and are close to their farms in summer and autumn. They can graze when possible and give additional feed in bad weather with no need to move animals far from their farms. An important issue is scarcity of labour which is the case with all types of jobs related to livestock production and is more pronounced with shepherds, notably in more remote areas. Young people are not willing to do this type of job, even when living close to poverty, mainly because of Photo 4. Traditional pastoral grazing of Sharri sheep difficulties in marriages.

3.37 26083 3.75 48767 3.37 59316 3.37 15886 6.37 25293 11.61 6475 7.49 3758 6.74 2364 12.73 2113 7.49 1022 33.71 1625 100 192 702

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Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

5. THE PASTURE RESOURCE

Pastoral vegetation Existing studies on Kosovos pastures mainly cover botanical rather than zootechnical and nutritional aspects. Miric (1975), reports the presence of these plant associations in pastures of the northern part of Sharri Mountain: a) Calcareous substratum Carex laevis- Helianthemum linieri; Carex laevis-Helianthemum vineale; Sub-association of Carex laevis-Helianthemum alpestre Seslerietosum teniufolise; Carex laevis-carex sempervirens; Festuca adamovicii-Helianthemum grandiflorum; Helianthemum grandiflorum-Festuca duriuscula. b) Silicate substratum Agrsostidetum capillaris; Calamgrostis arundinacea-Luzula erythranthema; Sesleria korabensis-Juncus frisicus; Nardus stricta-Festuca fallax; Nardus stricta-Festuca halleri. According to the Departments for Plant Protection, Plant Production and the Sector for Pastures and Animal Nutrition of the MAFRD (2005), the commonest species in Kosovo pastures are: Trifolium montanum, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Medicago falcata, Lotus corniculatus, Agropyrum repens, Holcus lanatus, Festuca rubra, Poa alpina, Cynodon dactylon, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Agrostis alba, Dactylis glomerata, Taraxacum officinale, Papaver rhoeas, Convolvulus arvensis, Polygonum convolvulus, Plantago major, Amaranthus retroflexus, Daucus carota, Matricaria chamomilla, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Cirsium arvense, and Sonchus arvensis. Based on the study carried out by the Institute for Protection of Nature and Environment of Kosovo (2003), the commonest herbaceous plants that dominate pastures of the Albanian Alps are: Festuca heterophylla, Dactylis glomerata, Veronica chamaedrys, Fragaria vesca, Clinopodium vulgare, Helleborus odorus, Melica uniflora, Danna cornubiensis. Less frequent are Viola silvestris, Primula vulgaris, Lathyrus niger, Lathyrus venetus, Aremonia agrimonoidesi, and Trifolium montanum subsp. rupestre. The following plants are also found: Verbascum nikolaii, Wulfenia blecicii, Helleborus purpurascens, Luzula luzulina, Anemone nemorosa, Festuca heterophylla, and Saxifraga rotundifolia. Near the higher limit of woodland, species like Senecio alpinum, Rhamnus fallax, Soldanella alpina, Lonicera nigra, Hieracium alpinum, Lilium albanicum, Geum bulgaricum, Asperula odorata, Luzula nemorosa, Anthemis montana, and Dryas octopetala occur. Above the higher limit of woodland border there are primary and secondary pastures but their vegetation is excessively damaged by zoo-anthropogenic factors. In most of these areas the dominating species is Nardus stricta, but there are also species like Centaurea nervosa, Polygonum bistorta, Dianthus superbus, Gentiana graminea, and Hypericum quadrangulum. According to Avdiu (2005), the pasroral flora of eastern Kosovo (Kamenica and Novo Brda region) contains 71 species: Achillea millefolium, Antoxanthum odoratum, Aegilops triuncialis, Astragalus onobrychis, Ajuga laxmannii, Arrhenaterum elatius, Anthyllis vulneraria, Alopecurus myosuroides, Allium flavum, Asperula cynanchica, Agropyron repens, Bromus erectus, Convulvulus arvensis, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Cerinthe minor, Cruciata glabra, Photo 5. Sharri Mountain pasture of Kosovo, Cirsium sp., Chrysopogon gryllus, Dactylis (Brezovica)

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17

gomerata, Dorycnium herbaceum, Euphorbia cyparissias, Erodium cicutarium, Galium verum, Genista sagittalis, Koeleria pyramidata, Lotus corniculatus, Haynaldia villosa, Hypochoris radiata, Hypericum perforatum, Hieracium pilosum, Onobrychis viciifolia, Potentilla hirta, Poa pratensis, Poa trivialis, Poa bulbosa, Podosperma laciata, Polygala vulgaris, Phleum pratense, Plantago lanceolata, Rumex acetosella, Rinanthus minor, Rinanthus major, Ranunculus psilostachus, Medicago rigidula, Medicago falcata, Marrubium vulgare, Festuca ovina, Festuca arundinacea, Fragaria vesca, Trifolium Figure 8. Most frequent plant species (in percent) in Kamenica pastures (Northern Kosovo) dalmaticum, Trifolium incarnatum, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium campestre, Trisetum flavescens, Tragopogon pratense, Thymus serpyllum, Teucrium chamaedrys, Salvia verticillata, Silene conica, Sanguisorba minor, Succisa pratensis, Vicia cracca, Veronica sp., Viola tricolor, Helleborus purpurascens, Faba sp., Lathyrus aphaca, Daucus carota,and Cichorium sp. There is high species variation reported although these two municipalities cover eastern Kosovo with no big variation in climate and agroFigure 9. Most frequent plant species (in percent) pedological characteristics. Figures 8 and 9 show in Novo Brda pastures (Northern Kosovo) the most frequent species in this region. Millaku (2006), has compared some Table 11. Number of plant species found in five lowland pasture fields in five localities (which regions of Kosovo Worthless represents five Kosovo regions and are spread in Total Inedible Edible plants altitude from 400-1 000m above sea level) and I 27 15 7 5 reported the presence of these plants: Achillea II 38 20 11 7 27 15 7 5 millefolium, Agropyrum repens, Agrostemma III IV 33 10 20 3 githago, Alyssum markgrafi, Alyssum montanum, V 26 7 15 4 Anthemis arvensis, Bromus sterilis, Capsella Average 30.2 13.4 12.0 4.8 bursa pastoris, Centaurea arvense, Centaurea Millaku, 2006 cyanus, Cerastium umbellatum, Cirsium arvense, Dactylis glomerata, Echium vulgare, Festua pratensis, Festuca sp., Galium aparine, Hieracium stoloniferum, Hypericum perforatum, Lathyrus aphaca, Lolium perenne. Lotus corniculatus, Matricaria sp., Medicago lupulina, Melampyrum arvense, Mentha longifolia, Phleum pratense, Poa pratensis, Potentilla argentea, Ranunculus sp., Silene vulgaris, Stachys scardica, Silene vulgaris, Tanacetum vulgare, Trifolium campestre, Trifolium incarnatum, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, and Veronica chamaedrys. This author has grouped the identified plants Figure 10. Plant structure of pastures Millaku, 2006 in three categories. As shown in Table 11 and Figure10, the average structure of the plants from five locations spread in different regions of Kosovo, illustrates the presence of a higher number of inedible plants in three of five experimental plots. Apart from the poor composition structure of plant communities, the author reports low yields, ranging from 513tonnes of consumable herbage per hectare.

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Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

As well as high plant species variations, there are also yield variations reported in the pastures of Kosovo. These yields vary from 310940 and 8702 080 kg/ha (Avdiu, 2005) and 5101 300 kg/ha (Millaku, 2006). Miric (1975) reports the yields from 3295 225 and 2 0646 275 kg/ha of consumable herbage for calcareous and silicate substratum respectively. Grazing lands Kosovos pastures are a valuable resource Photo 6. Cows grazing at about 700 m altitude and provide a good feed base for livestock development, especially for small ruminants. Table 12. Pasture area, number of sheep per Pastures present a significant base for animal feed hectare and sheep numbers over time decrease, and the preservation of balance in the ecosystem. 1955 1980 1988 2004 % 1988-2004 The importance of the use of pastures should not Pasture area 193 189 175 153 be seen just from the aspect of offering basic feed (000 ha.) for animals, especially during the summer season Sheep/ha. of 3.2 1.7 2.4 0.6 75 and producing hay as a bulk animal feed. The use pasture Sheep (000) 618 321 420 92 78 of pastures as generally recommended should be focused on sheep, but with the proper planning this resource can be used by other animals. In hilly-mountainous areas where mechanization is not always possible, pastures and grazing systems would replace cropping. Another important aspect of the use of pastures is promotion of ecological/organic livestock production in areas suited to natural grazing. Animal products from these areas are gaining in importance in Kosovo markets, but could become more profitable by introducing them to foreign markets. Figure 11. Structure of the use of agricultural land Prior to 1990, pastures were better utilized and organized (see Table 12); management and monitoring was undertaken by municipalities through the Socially Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and agriculture cooperatives. Then, the management of pastures in Dragash Municipality, (a region rich in pastures), was carried out by SOE Sharrprodhimi. Regarding pasture utilization, farmers were obliged to pay annual taxes. Pasture area and sheep numbers fell between 1988 and 2004. Alpine meadow vegetation has been modified through centuries of use for summer grazing and adjacent sub-alpine vegetation has been repeatedly burned to expand the size of the pastures. Since the war, grazing of alpine pastures has actually decreased because people fear being in these remote border areas and the number of livestock is less than in the pre-war period. Some meadows are reportedly being naturally recolonized with trees since grazing has stopped. (Kosovo Biodiversity Assessment, USAID Kosovo, 2003). Arable land grazing Fodder supply and grazing Most arable areas are in lowland zones in the north and east of the country. SOK gives the figures for categories of the main agricultural crops as shown in Figure 11. Some 300000tonnes of fodder is produced from lowland farms, which could replace an important part of the ration for barn feeding of big ruminants. The most common form of the feed is still hay produced either from grasses (in natural and sown meadows) or Lucerne (alfalfa). Silage production is increasing, which reduces production costs of animal products. Silage production also brings more

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

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security for farmers for winter feeding but the yields are still variable and dependent on rainfall. In regions where irrigation is possible farmers perform much better. Table 14 gives observations on the animal feeds sector and price per kg of feed from 20022006 (according to MAFRD).

Table 13. Areas and fodder production in lowlands

Forage and green cereals Meadow hay Grass Alfalfa Clover Vetch+Oats Wheat (green) Barley (green) Oat (green) Maize (green/silage)

Yield, Hectares Production, tonnes tonnes/ha

96766.1 66 381.1 7 899.5 14 617.5 2 261.3 329.6 674.8 79.7 3 595.2 788.0 184.7 30.6 61 554.9 7 471.5 1 461.2 3 320.0 109.9 13 338.6 11 388.6 2.8 3.9 4.2 3.3 4.4 4.9 1.4 3.6 14.4

Use of mineral and organic fertilizers There are no data on the use of fertilizers on grasslands and pastures but data from SOK-AFS (2006) give a general idea on this issue (see Table 15). The most frequently Table 14. Prices of main animal feeds in Kosovo Price, /kg used fertilizers are mixtures of nitrogen, Type of feed 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 phosphorus and potassium, traditionally Alfalfa hay 0.10 0.16 0.15 0.12 0.13 known as NPK fertilizers and in at least Grass hay 0.08 0.14 0.12 0.09 0.10 90% of cases the content of these nutrients Cereal straw 0.02 0.055 0.043 0.05 0.05 is 15:15:15. NPK fertilizers are generally Maize silage 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.03 used for basal dressings during land preparation. If applied to grasslands and Table 15. Average use of mineral fertilizers during 2006 Mineral fertilizer, kg/ha meadows they are usually used in late winter Crop Area, ha NPK NAG Urea Other Total or early spring. The other fertilizers used Cereals 109 989 239 86 98 1 424 are nitrogen fertilizers NAG (calcareous Vegetables 16 006 307 175 84 100 666 ammonium nitrate) with a declared content Forages 96 766 82 20 30 2 134 of 27% nitrogen and urea with a declared Fruits 4 109 124 34 32 139 329 content of 46% nitrogen. These fertilizers Other 111 2 1 0 0 3 151 63 61 48 315 are used for top dressing during spring: Total/Mean 226 982 FebruaryMarch in arable lands sown with SOK, AHS, 2006 winter cereals, but mostly during April Table 16. The use of organic fertilizers (manure) in May for perennial grasses. This depends Kosovo during 2006 on weather conditions. Statistics of SOK Organic fertilizers (manure) Area, ha Tonnes kg/ha show that NPK fertilizers are used by 67.4% Plant Cereals 109 989 101 263.0 920.7 of small farmers and 80.3% of big and Vegetables 16 006 62 778.7 3922.3 specialized farms, NAG 23 and 38%; urea Forages 96 766 140 063.0 1447.4 37.3 and 43% other fertilizers 3.4 and 1.5 Fruits 4 109 7962.2 1937.6 and organic fertilizers (manures) 38 and Other 111 nr nr 54.7% for respective types of farm. Total 226 982 312 066.9 *1 374.9 The highest amount of mineral fertilizers nr =no record; *Average use of organic fertilizer (manure) per ha(in kg) per hectare is used for vegetables (see Table SOK AHS, 2006 15), but because of the bigger planted area the highest total amount (46000tonnes or 65% of the total) is used for cereals, followed by forages with 13 000 tonnes or 18%. The use of organic fertilizers is shown in Table 16. Legislation and government for livestock fodder and pastures Documents which deal with livestock and feed and pastures are: Issues related to feeds and pastures are closely regulated with Administrative Instruction Nr. 09/2007The use of pastures. This document regulates some issues that deal with the use of pastures such as: taxes to be paid by farmers, the period of the use of pastures, nomad grazing etc, but is done very superficially. Law on Livestock Nr.2004/33. This law regulates some more general issues on livestock, concentrated and compound feeds, but fodder production and pastures are not even mentioned in this law.

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Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

Law on Veterinary Nr.2004/33 Administrative Instruction MA-NR. 17/2006 Quality Control of animal feeds and additives. Administrative Instruction MA-NR. 02 / 2006 Feed ingredients for compound feeds Administrative Instruction MA-NR. 19/05 Licensing of producers, intermediates, and traders of animal feeds and additives. Administrative Instruction MA-NR. 28/05 Compound Feeds

6. OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF FODDER RESOURCES

Development of pastures and meadows The situation of areas under pastures needs substantial and comprehensive efforts of all stakeholders involved. Actually this valuable resource is left on its own and the use of it is more or less anarchic. Although, there are no exact data, the yield and the quality of the feed produced in natural pastures is variable and depends on precipitation. There is no measure undertaken from any Kosovor institution to improve utilization of pastures. There is a tendency for change and improvement of the habits of farmers in lowland areas and interest in introducing new technologies, apart from the very traditional way of feed conservation, by drying grasses, haylage and silage production are interesting the more serious farmers. Due to more experience in maize growing, Corn silage dominates and new high potential producing cultivars are available.Fodder production is faced with the difficulties especially in modern equipment. The actual situation with machinery is not very good. There are a small number of tractors, with low power and mainly bought more than 20 years ago. Some high capacity equipment cannot be actually applied due to high prices of modern tractors and associated equipment. Pasture survey From the available resources and institutions contacted data on pastures are very scarce and this is also part of the job to be done. The budgets of institutions responsible for this sector are very low and it is hard to predict any contribution in this direction in the near future. Infrastructure This is another important aspect which reflects directly the situation of agriculture in general and livestock/feed/pasture production in particular. Regions with the highest potential in livestock production based on pasture utilization are in more remote places where infrastructure is in quite bad shape. This includes notably roads and electricity supply, which makes production difficult and especially producer market communications.

7. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS AND PERSONNEL

Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, University of Prishtina, Bill Clinton Bulevard, nn. 10000 Prishtina, Kosovo Institute for Agriculture, Peja Department for Animal Production, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Mr. Bajram Imeri, Director of the Department Livestock Breeding, Production and Marketing Sector, Mr. Arsim Memaj, Chief of the Sector

Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profile

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Feed and Pasture Management Sector, Mr. Lulzim Shamolli, Chief of the Sector Department for Plant Production and Plant Protection

8. REFERENCES
Agricultural Household Survey (AHS), Statistical Office of Kosovo, 2006 Agricultural Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Rural Development, Division for Agricultural Statistics and Analysis, 2007. Agriculture and Rural Development Plan, 2007-2013 November, 2006 ARD-BIOFOR IQC Consortium, 2003. Kosovo Biodiversity Assessment, USAID Kosovo. Avdiu, B., 2005. Floristic composition of hilly-mountainous massive of Novo Brda and Kamenica, Kosovo. Biological studies, Academy of Sciences Tirana (paper in Albanian). Departments for Plant Protection, Plant Production and the Sector for Pastures and Animal Nutrition of the MAFRD (2005). Elezi, Xh.; A. Halimi, and M. Zogaj, 2004. Digjitalizimi i harts pedologjike t Kosovs. Departamenti i shkencave t toks, Fakulteti i Bujqsis, Prishtin. Elezi, Xh. , M. Zogaj, andA. Halimi, (in press). Introduction to Soil Science- Soil systematic (in Albanian). Gashi, H. and Sh. Spaho, 2002. Pedologjia. Akademia e shkencave dhe arteve t Kosovs. Seksioni i shkencave t natyrs, Libri 8, Prishtin. IUSS Working Group WRB, 2006. World reference base for soil resources. World Soil Resources. Reports 103. FAO, Rome. Kamberi, M.A. 2004. The Agricultural Statistics and Policy Advisory Unit Kosovo (ASPAUK) Project. Mission Report. Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2001 and 2002. Living Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS) 2000. MAFRD, Identification and Registration Office of VFA (2003). Mehmeti, A., A. Demaj, and R. Waldhardt, 2009. Plant species richness and composition in the arable land of Kosovo. Landscape Online, 11:129. Millaku, F., 2006. Pasture Improvement and Management Project. Horticulture Association of Kosovo, Kosovo Cluster and Business Support Project, USAID. Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, Institute for Protection of Nature and Environment of Kosovo, Study on the reasonability of the declaration of the territory of Albanian Alps as National Park. Prishtina, 2003. Miric, M. 1975. Fodder base of Kosovo, Union of Scientific Associations of Kosovo, Book 37. (Publication in Serbian). Riinvest, 2002. Survey on Household and Labour Market. Riinvest, 2004. Survey of rural families. Statistical )ffice of Kosovo, 2002. Household Budget Survey (HBS).

9. CONTACTS
Dr.Sc. Muhamet A. Kamberi , Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, University of Prishtina, Bill Clinton Bul, nn. Prishtin, 10000, Republic of Kosovo. e-mail: makamberi@agr.uni-pr.edu This profile was written in March 2009 and will be updated from time to time. [The profile was edited by J.M. Suttie and S.G. Reynolds in April/May 2009.]