To meet the immediate need, CARE provided food, shelter and medical assistance to thousands of families. However, for Kosovo to begin recovering from the trauma, rebuilding the agricultural sector has to be a major priority. On the way to the remote village of Burnik, CARE is joined by peacekeeping troops to distribute livestock and animal feed to local farms. With the return of ethnic Albanians to their towns, villages and farms, labor is not a problem in most areas. But, nearly everything else is in short supply.
Most farmers are keen to return to normal farming but they face many obstacles.
Agricultural areas are depressed, trade remains at a low level and there is almost no agricultural capital available to farmers. To help improve the situation and rehabilitate farms, CARE is distributing spare parts for tractors, not just an economic necessity but a fundamental part of the farming economy. Tractors are used in the fields, to take goods to market and take families to the nearest town. During the war, many spare parts were stolen or destroyed. The result is that nearly 800 tractors are now operational again.