Albania increases imports and exports of food products

TIRANA, Aug 25 – Imports of food products has increased in Albania, as well as imports of GM products, according to data from the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT).
But Albanian farmers prefer to produce using organic methods and to export their goods. The data of ISTAT indicates that in the first six month of 2008 alone, products valued at $326 million were imported, compared with $523 million during the entire 2007.
According to consumers’ associations, large companies put more and more GM products on the markets to maximize their profits. The associations have, in vain, tried to prevent those products from being found on Albanian tables.
The growing domestic demand, scarce agricultural production and prices which are not competitive make it possible for Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece to deliver their fruit and vegetables to Albania.
The less modern methods of Albanian agriculture, however, have lent themselves to a conversion to organic agriculture and more and more farmers prefer to sell the best and most tasteful products to exporters.
On the central markets of Lushnje, Fier and Kavaja, the presence of Kosovar and Macedonian buyers purchasing for their markets is grow