TIRANA, April 28 /ATA/ Farmers across the country are expanding the surface area of agricultural lands cultivated with medicinal and aromatic plants, the exports of which have proved to be profitable.
The Agency for Agricultural and Rural Development announces that, through financial support from the National Scheme in Agriculture and the IPARD II program, the surface area planted with medicinal and aromatic herbs has increased to 2,080 ha in recent years.
According to ARDA, the growing demand of foreign markets for medicinal herbs, which provides greater income for farming families, has encouraged them to engage in this activity.
ARDA announces that there is also an increase of investments in collection and processing centers of these plants, which collect plants from farmers and export them abroad.
The Agricultural and Rural Development Agency has supported 36 investments in 18 municipalities of the country for the development of the medicinal plants sector.
10 of these investments are startups that have created 555 new jobs and have delivered an impact on increase of household income and exports.
While the National Scheme for Agriculture and Rural Development for 2021, finances up to 100 thousand ALL the farmers who plant medicinal and aromatic plants in the amount of 200,000 ALL per hectare.
In Albania there are over 7 thousand species of plants, which make up almost 32% of the entire flora of Europe.
Exports of these plants have increased incomes for local families and boosted employment.
The sector of medicinal and aromatic plants has created employment opportunities for about 100 thousand families living in rural areas of the country. Generating about 18 million euros from export, it is listed as the second largest sector in agricultural exports.
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