TIRANA, Sept. 9 /ATA/ – Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Andis Salla on Wednesday presented plans for an Agricultural Exchange, a new mechanism aimed at changing how farmers access the market by giving them more information and options when selling their produce.
Under the system, wholesalers will be able to list the products they want to buy, along with quantities, quality requirements and offered prices. Farmers will be able to view and compare the offers and choose the one that best suits them.
“We are moving from asking ‘what is the price?’ to ‘who is buying and what is the best offer?’” Salla said. “Every day, the Agricultural Exchange will make this information available to farmers, connecting them directly with actual market demand.”
The mechanism is intended to create a more transparent, organised and competitive market while strengthening farmers’ bargaining power with buyers, Salla said.
“We want farmers to have a choice between offers rather than face a single offer, because more alternatives mean a better chance of securing a fairer price for their work,” he said.
Salla said the Agricultural Exchange was also a response to one of farmers’ most frequent concerns: the price they receive for their produce.
“The Agricultural Exchange is a new step towards a stronger and fairer market for Albanian farmers,” he said.
/e.xh/a.f/u.sh/
