Denada Jushi
"Why plant when they buy imported vegetables rather than ours?", this is how one of the farmers who cultivates tomatoes in Lushnja begins his story, who has to work every day in the rain and in the sun, and when it comes to harvesting the fruits of his labor, his goods rot!
The decline of agriculture has been going on for a long time, but is now becoming more and more apparent, even though it is one of the two most important sectors of the Albanian economy!
This is one of the main findings that raises ALTAX analysis “Agriculture in Albania: Current situation, statistics and prospects”.
According to published data, it is clearly shown that the sector has a significant weight, but its performance is gradually declining!
According to this study, agriculture contributes about 18.5% to the Gross Domestic Product, a much higher level than the European Union average which remains below 5%. On the surface this figure is a positive indicator, but in reality the economy is still dependent on low-productivity activities. The same situation applies to employment; over 37% of the Albanian workforce is engaged in agriculture, but the sector is not efficient!
Data shows a huge untapped potential. Albania has about 695 thousand hectares of agricultural land.
But why?
The problems are mainly related to the lack of irrigation systems, land fragmentation and low levels of mechanization. In many cases, farms are small family farms, with an average area of 1–1.5 hectares, which makes it difficult to increase productivity and competitiveness.
Although agricultural production has reached significant levels in some crops, such as vegetables and fruits, the structuring of the sector remains problematic. Production is oriented towards the domestic market and exports are dominated by unprocessed products. According to ALTAX analysis, agricultural exports have reached around 580 million euros, but the potential for growth remains untapped precisely due to the lack of processing.
Only about 30% of farmers use modern equipment, while the yield per hectare remains 30–40% lower than the average in EU countries. This is directly related to the low level of investments and subsidies. While farmers in the European Union benefit from over 150–200 euros per hectare, in Albania the support is calculated at only 30–50 euros per hectare.
The problems are not only economic. Albanian agriculture is also facing a demographic crisis. Emigration and the departure of young people from rural areas are leading to an aging rural population and a shortage of labor. This makes it even more difficult to modernize the sector and adopt new technologies.
However, the report also highlights a possible way out. According to ALTAX, moving towards a “smart agriculture” model is the solution to transforming the sector. This includes the use of technologies such as sensors, drones, digital management systems and the use of renewable energy on farms.
If this modernization can be achieved, agricultural production could increase by 30–50% by 2030, while exports could double, reaching around 1.2 billion euros per year. But this depends on a transformation, for which there does not seem to be any political will to happen!
Until we understand the importance of this sector, agriculture is heading towards inevitable decline!acqj.al
