Prime Minister Edi Rama posted Saturday a video showing apple orchards in the village of Dishnice, Korça region.

Apple production has dramatically increased in recent years with the expansion of the cultivated area, as well as by increasing productivity, which reflects both improved growing technologies and technical knowledge. Korça farmers are now the main apple suppliers for industrial processing purposes, consumption and export.

According to official data from the National Institute of  Statistics, INSTAT, fruit production makes an important contribution to Albania’s agricultural sector, accounting for around 41,96 per cent of the total agricultural output, with apple production accounted for the largest share and with Korça region being accounted for around 62,97 % of the country’s apple production.

Albania apple production is estimated to over 80,000 metric tonnes with a total of 43.195.000 apple trees cultivated in an area of over 4500 hectares.

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 over 70 per cent of Albania’s total apple production.

The most widely grown varieties are two derivatives of Red Delicious, Red Chief and Starking. Together they make up about 52 per cent of Albania’s apple output, while Golden Delicious accounts for a further 42 per cent of production. Other varieties grown to a lesser extent are Gala, Mutsu and Granny Smith.

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

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

/u.sh/