USAID explores opportunities for Albanian products

TIRANA, Sep 28 – USAID’s Albanian Agriculture Competitiveness Program held a special forum with business leaders and agriculture experts on ways to develop markets for Albanian agricultural products.
The event took place at this year’s National Agricultural Trade Fair organized by the Albanian Agribusiness Council (KASH).
The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Protection, Genc Ruli, and USAID Mission Director, Roberta Mahoney, delivered remarks at the event.
“Today Albanian farmers and traders have more opportunities to engage in commercial agriculture, target high-value markets and become key players in the development of the rural economies,” said Mahoney. “Farmers and agribusinesses must continue to improve their productivity and the quality of their products, and use market information to maximize their competitive advantages.”
During this event, USAID’s AAC program made a presentation about market prospects for a series of commodities of economic importance for Albania.
According to the analysis, there are an array of opportunities for Albanian traders to take advantage of, with special emphasis on early and late-season crops.
Similarly, there are opportunities to replace imports by improving the quality of crops such as apples and citrus.
Target markets described by the AAC program include international retail chains, local food wholesalers, as well as progressive retailers.