TIRANA, May  12  /ATA/ The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development continues to strengthen cooperation with donors, to increase food safety standards in our country.

12 digital stereo microscopes have been delivered to the National Veterinary and Plant Protection Agency (AKVMB), which will be made available to our specialists to identify and confirm the presence of pests in fruits and vegetables.

The digital stereo microscopes have been provided with the support of GIZ and will enable a higher level of professionalism in the field of the specialists of the National Veterinary and Plant Protection Authority.

The director of GIZ in Albania, Dr. Sonja Kurz, said that the funding is an important step for the professional performance of phytosanitary monitoring, as a process that serves to prevent the spread of quarantine pests.

Although AKVMB is an institution established in the last two years, the cooperation with the German GIZ has built very good bridges of communication and interaction. This fact is proved by this initiative, which serves to increase the standards of agricultural products for the domestic and export markets.

According to the head of AKVMB, Roland Meçaj, the enhancement of these standards will help meet one of the objectives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, such as twofold increase of exports in the next four years.

GIZ will continue to support initiatives in the agriculture and livestock sector, which contribute to the facilitation of trade in the region and the creation of a more efficient system of inspections for trade in fruits and vegetables in the framework of the CEFTA member countries.

This is not the first time that GIZ has come to the aid of AKVMB. Earlier, 580 echo traps were provided to carry out the phytosanitary monitoring procedure of fruits and vegetables grown in greenhouses or open fields.

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