The Ministry of Agriculture stated that over significant quantity of quality Albanian tangerines were exported to the European and global markets in 2024 and only three shipments were turned back over the pesticide use.

“In 2024, huge quantities loaded in some 924 truckloads were exported to the European and global markets, while three shipments only were turned back over irregularities and pesticide residues and the three have been already destroyed,” the Ministry said.

Full official statement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development encourages the consumption of Albanian products during the year-end holidays and beyond. In 2024, over 85% of Albanian tangerine production was harvested and sold on the domestic and international markets, and the tests and controls performed on them have found no pesticide residues. Today, tangerine cultivation extends to over 1,000 ha by market farmers and smaller producers.

As to the recent media debate on the quality and safety situation of Albanian tangerines following previous official statements of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, we clarify to the public that:

In 2024, Albania exported 924 truckloads of tangerines to the European and global markets, of which only 3 shipments were flagged for issues and were destroyed. This ratio should not damage the hard work and efforts of Albanian farmers during an entire year and, at the same time, should not trigger concerns and panic among consumers.

According to the notification of the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) over pesticide residues in mandarins exported from the Republic of Albania, the Albanian Food Authority (AKU) has acted immediately regarding traceability and procedural actions by exporting entities by taking concrete measures and actions to destroy 20,482 kg of clementine mandarins, on 19.12.2024, in the Fier region, a shipment that was turned back by Croatia. The disposal procedure was carried out in the presence of the National Environmental Authority, the Tax Directorate, as well as with the presence of several various media.

In cooperation with the National Veterinary and Plant Protection Authority, on 19.12.2024, joint inspections were performed the Mursi village, Municipality of Konispol, where a farmer involved in mandarin growing  had destroyed the mandarin product.  The collecting entities that were found to violate legal provisions, in addition to criminal charges filed against them, administrative measures such as fines and activity suspension were also taken according to the violations. In order to follow the ongoing situation, joint inspections were carried out every day in the Berat district, Dimal Municipality.

We inform the consumer regarding the other two shipments reported by Croatia for pesticide residues according to the RASFF system notification, one of the shipments has been destroyed in Croatia, while the other has yet to be been returned back to the country of origin. All BIPs have been notified that in the event of a return of the product, it will be immediately blocked for destruction. All Border Inspection Points  have been notified that in case of other shipment returns, the product will be immediately seized for destruction.

National Food Authority continues inspection actions on entities operating in Plant Protection Products and Fertilizer Products, with over 46 commercial entities having been inspected and verified in the last week alone and not violations of the legal provisions were found. Inspections continue round the clock at wholesale and retail sale units, collection, fruits and vegetables storage facilities, where in addition to the 18 samples specified in the pesticide monitoring plan for mandarins during the month of December in order to keep the situation under control, seven more samples have been taken to undergo tests at the Reference Laboratory – ISUV.

The National Food Authority has carried out 806 inspections to check the pesticides sale and 862 inspections on the fertilizer products. In 2024, a total of 188 samples were tested, of which 28 for pesticides, and 27 of them turned out to meet the requirements, while 1 is still undergoing test. For fertilizer products, 160 samples have been tested, of which 24 are still in the process, 134 have resulted in compliance and 2 non-compliance samples, for which traceability has been followed and all measures have been taken according to the existing legislation.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has adopted and is implemented the Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides, which includes the entire chain of actions with central structures and subordinate institutions, without excluding the support of the Agricultural University of Tirana, as well as Albanian producers. The purpose of this Action Plan is the proper and safe use of pesticides for the protection of plant health to guarantee quality and safe production for the consumer, as well as the protection of the environment where they are used.

Thanks to the work of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development structures, the territory of the Republic of Albania was protected and kept clean from Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), even though border countries registered outbreaks and colossal damage. The cases of Avian Influenza and African Swine Fever were handled immediately and efficiently, preventing any harm to the epizootic situation in the country.

In the meantime, work is underway to raise awareness about the production of biologically pure products through biological warfare, which also comes with a fiscal incentive too. The strict use of protocols and the prohibition of the use of banned pesticides in European Union countries is a fact. Albanian farmers, producers, collectors and exporters must cooperate to implement best agricultural practices throughout the production chain, all the way to the consumer.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is transparent and on its website it has published the list of PPPs and labels for use, as well as the list of fertilizer products, which are constantly updated, making it clear to farmers not to use smuggled products that are banned in EU and in our country. Farmers, every user or consumer has access to obtain complete information not only on the use, but also the consequences of their misuse.

We urge everyone to report any cases of illegality, irregularity or abuse by dialing the numbers published on the Ministry’s website to become part of the shared responsibility in safeguarding food security in the country.

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The virus was detected on November 25 by the Food Safety and Veterinary Institute when carcasses of infected wild boars were found by hunters in the village of Mall i Rrencit, Shengjin administrative unit in Lezha Municipality.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the carcasses were disposed and the surrounding area was disinfected after samples from the dead animals were administered.

To ensure early detection and prevention of the disease, National Veterinary and Plant Protection Authority has acted by determining a tampon and surveillance area within a 3 km to 10 km radius.

Some 976 farms with 1425 pigs were monitored, of which 493 pigs were tagged. During the farm inventory process, 33 new farms were identified: with 121 pigs and 24 breeding sows.

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The Financial Literacy Development Initiative for the agriculture sector aims to empower farmers and government entities with the knowledge and skills to make informed financial decisions and foster sustainable agricultural practices.

With a particular focus on the regions affected by the 2019 earthquake, including Tirana, Durres, and Lezha, FAO in Albania have conducted last week two training sessions for agriculture extension specialists and small-scale farmers in Durrës and Lezha.

Topics covered in the training include farm records maintenance, agri-business registration processes, farm efficiency indicators, business plans, and more.

FAO senior economists recently delivered an open lecture to the AUT students on “State of Green Finance in Agri-food” and “Climate Risks and their Relevance for Central Banks”.

The agriculture experts believe that empowering farming communities with financial literacy is crucial for their long-term success and the sustainable development of the agriculture sector.

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