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Good news for Albanian farmers. The giant supermarket chain 'Coop' declared that it has set its sights on Albania as an importing country for vegetables and fruits. The head of Coop, Philipp Wyss, in a recent interview, said that in the spring he wants to conclude the relevant contracts with Albanian vegetable producers.
According to him, Albanian tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, strawberries and tangerines will complement the products from Spain in the future.
During an interview with "Tamedia", the boss of Coop said that the high consumption of water is a big problem for Spain. This is why the retailer looked for alternatives.
"However, Albania will not be able to replace the Iberian country, already because it is a small country, smaller than Switzerland, 17 times smaller than Spain in area. And since it only has about 3 million inhabitants, its productive capacities are limited. We can imagine a complementary role, but certainly not a dominant one.
On the other hand, in terms of climate, this Balkan country is a Mediterranean country, located at approximately the same latitude as Spain or Southern Italy. Therefore, he can grow the same type of fruits and vegetables. And thanks to its water reserves, Albania in principle does not experience water stress.
Agriculture is a key sector of the Albanian economy, as more than a third of the population works in it and it represents nearly 20% of the gross domestic product. But according to a recent World Bank report, Albanian agriculture faces many structural difficulties, including inefficient farming methods, distribution problems, low subsidies and rising fertilizer prices. This sector has considerable potential for progress, but considerable effort is required to achieve this, again according to the World Bank.
Greece and Romania are also included. A third of the Romanian agricultural land is barren, but it is difficult, for historical reasons, to have access to large plots of land" , said the general director of the brand.
Raw materials such as cocoa also come from foreign production.
"Due to the very high prices of cocoa and sugar, we will raise some prices for products containing these raw materials ," said the head of Coop.
Currently, negotiations with suppliers regarding their price requests are underway.
With a history of more than 150 years, Coop has become one of the largest supermarket chains in Europe. His intention to import agricultural products from Albania is good news, not only for farmers but also for the Albanian economy as a whole, which will have more export opportunities in international markets. Moreover, Coop contracts set new standards in the production of farmers, promoting the modernization of this sector.
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