TIRANA, Sept 14 /ATA/ In addition to fresh vegetables and fruits, Albania has the potential to increase exports in other sub-sectors that include bovine hides, fish products, dried fruits, canned fish and canned olives.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announces that the most positive example in these years in terms of increasing production and exports has been the olive crop.
Olives have recorded the greatest increase in gross production and value in the last 10 years, both in terms of the expansion of the cultivated area, and the increase in yield and exports as a processed product, according to MoARD.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the value of olive production increased from USD 36 million in 2006 to USD 134 million in 2016 and to almost USD 147 million in 2020. Olives recorded the largest increase in value during the period 2016-2021, followed by eggs, tomatoes, corn and grapes.
Despite the increase in yield in some crops, Albania’s agricultural productivity continues to be much lower than that of its competitors in the main crops, so the Ministry of Education and Culture is working to increase production certification.
Meanwhile today in Albania, nearly 250 thousand ha of land are cultivated, from 125 thousand ha that were cultivated in 2013.
The support schemes launched by the government are aimed at increasing the quality of agricultural products, seeds and seedlings, but also at increasing collection and processing points, enabling the farmers to access other international markets.
While last year the government allocated a special fund for increasing the areas planted with olive trees, as well as improving the mechanism and increasing the olive oil production capacity.
/sm/
