Albania

Albania is located in southeastern Europe between Greece to its south and Montenegro and Kosovo to its north. The country’s total land area is 28,748 sq km; by comparison, it is slightly larger than Burundi, or about the size of the state of Maryland in the U.S. Albania has a mild climate with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Its terrain primarily consists of mountains and hills with some small plains along the coast. Of the total land area, 20 percent is utilized for cultivated crops, while another four percent supports permanent crops such as fruit- and nut-bearing trees. Albania faces environmental issues such as deforestation, soil erosion and water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents. As a formerly closed, centrally planned state, Albania is making the difficult transition to a more modern open market economy. Macro-economic growth averaged around six percent between 2004 and 2008, but declined to about two percent in 2009. The country’s population is approximately 3.7 million with 58 percent of its labor force dedicated to agriculture. Agricultural products in Albania include wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar, beets and grapes. The EurAsia Division is responsible for IFDC activities in Albania.

Recent IFDC Projects in Albania

  • Albania Credit Enhancement Fund, 2006 – 2011
    This program, funded with monetized proceeds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food for Progress Program, introduced technology and training to farmers in dairy and livestock operations, while increasing agribusiness enterprises' access to credit. The program trained farmers, built linkages, facilitated the importation of improved cattle breeds, provided access to quality feed and introduced farmers to modern production and processing equipment.

DONOR: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food for Progress Program

  • Food for Progress Program in Albania (FFPA), 2003-2008
    Utilizing monetized funds through the USDA Food for Progress Program, the FFPA project provided market development support to agribusiness enterprises that were engaged in feed milling and meat, dairy and egg production. FFPA also established an agribusiness Credit Guarantee Fund that guaranteed loans to qualified enterprises in targeted sectors along Albania’s agricultural value chain.

DONOR: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food for Progress Program

 

 

Albania Information

Articles

Albania: IFDC Helps Nation Transition to Free-Market Economy



An IFDC Core Competency: Agro-Dealer Development(Taken from IFDC Report Volume 35, No.3)