Kosovo: Potato chips bring Serbs and Albanians together
Despite ongoing tension between Belgrade and Pristina, ethnic Serbs and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo have found a way not just to coexist, but to thrive. Boban Ristic and Agron Halimi from Vushtrri discovered common ground in potato chip production. For them, economic survival takes precedence over politics.
Transcript
00:00The Ristic family has been farming for generations.
00:04Boban Ristic works for the municipality of Vustri in northern Kosovo.
00:08But because his salary is not enough to get by,
00:11he is also continuing his family's farming tradition.
00:15In recent years, he's been supplying potatoes to a local potato chip factory.
00:20We take potatoes from Vipe, so it's an Albanian company.
00:24We have a good relationship, and the conditions are good.
00:29They want to help us.
00:55The quality of the potatoes matters more than the nationality of the people who grow them,
01:00and that the company is transparent about its cooperation with local ethnic Serbs.
01:05We are honest with our work, and we have a little time to complain.
01:11But they are right.
01:13They are right, and we hope that soon they will be able to hire us
01:17and we will be able to work and function better.
01:22Although there are very few ethnic Serbs left in this part of Kosovo,
01:25those that are here want to stay.
01:28Most live in villages and work in agriculture.
01:31Cooperation with the potato chip factory is very welcome.
01:35Ristic and Haljimi meet regularly to discuss
01:38how the quality of the potatoes can be further improved.
01:41Before we started working with Vipe,
01:44we had a problem where we threw the potatoes.
01:49The prices were catastrophic.
01:52Now we have a safe place and a safe price.
01:56With the income he earns from Vipe,
01:58Ristic can give his family a better life in Kosovo.
02:01His potatoes will soon be processed, packaged and delivered
02:04to supermarkets across Europe, including Serbia,
02:07which is a significant success given the limited trade between the two countries.