Korça Mayor Sotiraq Filo said in an interview on Monday the project is expected to begin implementation next year and is among the most significant municipal investments aimed at supporting agriculture in the region.

Apples are one of Korça’s highest-potential agricultural products, Filo said, adding that the project would enable production to meet modern quality and marketing standards.

“This project is important because it will help develop the apple market, which has strong potential for Korça’s farmers,” Filo said. “Through standardised sorting and packaging, producers will gain access to international markets.”

The model farm will also serve as a reference point for local farmers, introducing new cultivation practices and modern technologies, while the sorting and packaging centre will ensure consistent quality and add value to production, he said.

The project is expected to give fresh momentum to agricultural development in Korça by strengthening the apple production and marketing chain and increasing farmers’ incomes.

Korça region is Albania’s main apple-growing region, accounting for about 63% of national apple output, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The region benefits from favourable climatic conditions and has around 4,000 hectares planted with apple orchards. The most widely cultivated varieties include Red Chief and Starking derivatives, as well as Golden Delicious.

While most of Korça’s apple production supplies the domestic market, an increasing share is being exported, boosting the sector’s export potential.

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The Director of the Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (ARDA) Frida Krifca highlighted Friday the case of a family farm involved in apple growing in the area.

Agjerim’s wife Lindita and his son Ardit are always helping him in order for their family farm to become successful and grow further.

Argjërim said he asked his son to return back home exactly for this investment.

“Their apple orchard is located in a previously barren land area. But the family has planted around 2500 apple trees in an area of around 8000 square meters through ARDA assistance under the EU-funded IPARD II Programme,” Krifca said.

Saying that Agjerim and his family have also been eligible to benefit agricultural machineries to carry out specialized works and drip irrigation to care for their trees.

The farm has become the main source of the household economy for the family in the village of Leminot.

Apple production sector is growing very fast in Albania and the improved production techniques  and quality are fuelling the country’s burgeoning apple export industry.

The two main growing areas are Korça, in the south east of the country, and Dibra, which are home to around 70 per cent of Albania’s total apple production.

Improved production and quality standards mean that since 2011 Korça has also exporting apples – mainly to neighbouring countries like Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia.

Albania exported around 500 to 600 metric tonnes of apple between 2011 and 2013, but fruit exports have grown significantly in the past few years and the country is looking to sell more apples to the European Union as quality improves.

More recently, Albanian apples have attracted the attention of other major European markets including Bulgaria, Greece, Austria and Germany.

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