Vying for a niche, government continues to push for increased olive production.
Albania’s government has been pushing for higher olive production for some time, but it has finally put a number to what it will cost to implement its ambitious olive production plan — 650 million dollars.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha told olive growers at a recent conference that they are the priority of Albanian agriculture and the program is the biggest investment ever made in Albanian agriculture.
“This is a complex project, which really requires 650 million dollars, but that is an excellent long-term investment,” Mr. Berisha said at the conference.
Although Albania has ideal conditions for olive cultivation, it still trails far behind its neighbors.
“Albania currently has only 1.5 olive trees per capita, while olive oil consumption is about 2-3 liters per year per person,” said Agriculture Minister Genc Ruli. “Standards of olive oil production are also low.”
Olive trees in Albania take 5 percent of agricultural land. There are 4 million trees in the country, with about half planted in the past 50 years.
Olive trees are extremely resilient and are known to live for hundreds of years. They are also one of the most extensively cultivated trees in the world.
The ten largest producing countries, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, are all located in the Mediterranean region and produce 95 percent of the world’s olives. Spain leads to pack, followed by Italy, Greece and Turkey.
