MEAT Sector Analyse

Meat Sector Study
Currently, export opportunities for agricultural and agro-industrial products are very
constrained as a result of the low level of agricultural and agro-processing industrial
production; the lack of trade facilitations; the low food safety standards; and the weak
competitiveness. Meeting the veterinary, phyto-sanitary and food security conditions of the
SAA and Interim Agreement will be a difficult challenge. The standards to be achieved relate
to a very broad area covering production, marketing, safety and quality certificate conditions
for goods and services, processing, and inspection and control services.
According to NSDI the agricultural policy of the GOA has the following strategic priorities:
• Increase financial support
• Improve the management, irrigation and drainage of land
• Improve the marketing of agricultural and agro-processing products
• Improve the level and quality of technologies, information and knowledge applied by
farmers and agro-processing
• Increase the quality and safety of agricultural and agro-processing products
Agriculture and fisheries
Some progress was achieved in the area of agriculture and rural development policy. The
Agency for Agriculture and Rural Development was set up as the paying agency to manage
direct support to agriculture and rural areas. The Agency has 86 staff and operates in all 12
regions of the country. It provides a good starting point towards the establishment of an
IPARD Agency. Preparations for IPARD advanced with the appointment of the prospective
Managing Authority in June 2009. However, the Rural Development Strategy will require
substantial improvements to serve as a basis for the IPARD programme.
The 2009 budget for the direct support scheme remains stable at € 7 million. Direct support
to farmers resulted in an increase in plantations of permanent crops such as fruit, olive and
citrus trees and vineyards. Other direct support measures covered, among other things, drip
irrigation, organic certification, mushroom culture and snail breeding. There have been efforts
to improve quality and marketing overall. ... The Agriculture Information Centres received
additional material resources and organised promotion activities. However, land
fragmentation continues to hamper efficient farming and results in low productivity and
incomes. Uncertainties about property rights hinder the development of a functioning land
market. Structural weaknesses such as poor infrastructure and marketing systems, lack of
cooperation between producers and business sectors and insufficient knowledge about food
quality and safety standards hold back the development of the agricultural sector. The share
of the total budget allocated to agriculture remains small. The trade deficit in agricultural
products continued to increase. Overall, the agricultural sector remains weak. It lacks
competitiveness and has difficulties facing competition from imported goods.
Farm level
Farmers often do not respect Albanian standards and regulations (for example environmental
or occupational safety) and the authorities in charge often do not enforce them properly. Also
the implementation of quality standards leave some room for improvements.
Common EU standards such as the Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) have no equivalent yet
in the Albanian law.
Processing level
Meat Sector Study, page 46