USAID supports Korca apple festival

TIRANA, Oct. 13 – More than 200 apple growers, traders, and processors participated in a two-day festival in Kor衬 southeast Albania, which included an apple judging contest, a tour of the Muso Brother’s Apple Orchard and cold storage facility, and a seminar on how to support the future development of Korca’s apple industry. USAID has assisted farmers in the region for the past five years to improve the production, marketing, and competitiveness of Korca’s apples.
USAID/Albania Mission Director, Mr. Jim Barnhart, Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Genc Ruli, delivered remarks today at the Korca Apple Festival held in Man趲isht village in Proger. The festival is organized by USAID’s Albanian Agriculture Competitiveness (AAC) program in collaboration with the Kor衧s Regional Directorate of Agriculture. The event aims to promote apple as a produce-mark of the Kor衠region.
While in Korca, Barnhart also visited other USAID supported projects, including the telemedicine and hospital improvement project at the Korca Regional Hospital, the District Court in Korca, and a small grant recipient who developed Dardha’s first eco-trail. Barnhart also met with the Mayor of Korca, Niko Peleshi, to discuss USAID’s project to support the Municipality.