FAO partners with the public and private sector to benefit the Albanian dairy sector

FAO, in cooperation with the Albanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, launched a collaboration to develop the milk value chain in Albania in partnership with the food producing and packaging company Tetra Laval and catering company AgorAl & Global Services (AGS).

The project aims at improving the knowledge of small-scale dairy farmers on food safety and quality in the framework of milk value chain development. The project’s pilot stage will provide valuable assistance near the capital in the Baldushk area to more than 900 smallholder farmers in their efforts to increase production and access processors. This will ultimately benefit consumers with milk that is both safe and nutritious.

Improving the food and nutrition status of children is a concern in many countries of Europe and Central Asia. As part of the school feeding programme, the project will support students of Fan Noli school in Tirana with the daily requirement of locally sourced, quality milk, in addition to education on food safety and nutritional values.

In her address, the advisor to the minister, Tana Kika, re-confirmed the Ministry’s support to the project, underlining key policy initiatives that the Ministry is undertaking in veterinary and food safety standards.

Contributions from the private sector were also highlighted from representatives of the Swedish company Tetra Laval and the Albanian milk processor AGS. Their support is essential to connect small milk producers to processors and consumers.

“The development of innovative ideas is key to increase the competitiveness of the agriculture sector and to reduce rural poverty. This project will increase investments in the dairy sector,” FAO representative for Albania, Raimund Jehle, noted at the the project launch event on 21 November in Tirana. “Supporting family farmers in particular for greater income-generating opportunities and improving horizontal and vertical cooperation among them, stimulates development.”

Also present at the launch event was the Swedish ambassador to Albania, Elsa Hästad, who emphasized the importance of food safety standards in the dairy production value chain for Albania’s aspirations to join European Union. Hästad stressed the need for broad partnerships in addressing the challenges that the country’s dairy sector faces.

25 November 2019, Tirana, Albania