Unlocking the agribusiness sector potential for growth is key to creating quality employment opportunities for young women and men in Albania. To achieve this, RisiAlbania supports rural businesses to grow, to export to high-value Western Europe markets and to expand their economic activities. The project is working on two fast-growing subsectors: fruits and vegetables, and Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs). The project is targeting 300 full-time jobs to be created by the end of the project through its agribusiness partnerships.

In fruits and vegetables, the project has supported so far two agrocollectors for the implementation of GlobalG.A.P group certification, Tomato.al which has already certified a group of farmers, and Doni Fruit which is in the process of certification. Within 2019 they plan to increase exports to EU destinations by 25%.

 On June 20th Swiss Ambassador Adrian Maître and project team visited Lushnja and met some of Doni Fruit’s supplying farmers and agrocollectors who are implementing the processes for obtaining the GlobalG.A.P group certification, a necessary standard that adds value to Albanian products and prepares them for new European export and domestic markets, while promoting higher security for farmers through contracts.

“The solution for Albanian exports to access higher value markets is complying with required EU standards. It opens doors to EU supermarkets” – said Ejup Ahmeti from Doni Fruits export company.

 “I’ve learned that there is a lot of requirements for the standards to be fulfilled. They guarantee the quality of the products and the environment, and both are very important for the final customers and the market” – stressed Ambassador Maître after visiting a melon greenhouse that follows Global G.A.P. requirements.

In Kemishtaj, the Swiss Ambassador visited BioBes company’s field planted with cornflower. The company has a long family history in gathering and packing medicinal plants in several regions in Albania and provides 400 rural families with their main source of income. With Risi’s support, BioBes is investing in drying technologies and increasing its share of cultivated plants. Indeed, the company aims to switch from a current 6% of cultivated MAPs in their portfolio to 51% in 2022 – and to an ambitious 100% certified organic.

“I have seen a huge opportunity and potential for employment, new jobs, incomes and investment for Albania. This is what the country needs, and what the citizens and the young generation in particular and also the private sector need” – said Ambassador Maître while visiting an organic plot and meeting with young women and men working in the field.

Albania has many advantages in the field of agribusiness. The country has good soils, good weather, is well positioned geographically, has strong partner networks in other countries. Through certification, investments in new technologies and improvements in labour practices, agribusiness companies will sign better contracts with buyers from Western Europe, obtain higher incomes, reinvest and create jobs for young women and men living in rural areas.