In Albania, exports of medicinal plants fall by 8%

  

 "The sharp decline of the euro currency, as well as the emigration of the population, has slowed down the exports of medicinal plants.

For the period January-March, according to the data of the State Institute of Statistics of Albania known locally by the acronym INSTAT, exports of the group "Essential oils, industrial or medicinal plants, animal feed" decreased by 8.3% compared to the same period last year, local media say.

For the year 2023, the decline in exports of this group is stronger than the months of January-March 2020, where March coincided with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the first three months of 2020, exports of medicinal plants fell by around 2% compared to the January-March 2019 period.

Meanwhile, in net weight, exports of medicinal plants for January-March 2023 have increased by around 2.3% more than the same period in 2022.

The Association of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants emphasizes that the main factors that have affected the slowdown in exports are the depreciation of the euro currency and the decline in the population of mountainous areas, which have affected the collection of medicinal plants.

 Chart showing exports of medicinal plants from 2014 to 2023

Filip Gjoka, the head of the association, earlier stated that the losses of companies for every transaction worth 50,000 euros reach 10% compared to last year due to the fall of the euro.

Representatives of the association also raised concerns about the problem of population emigration, as well as the departure of residents from rural areas to urban ones. The difficult problem of labor shortages has forced the medicinal plant sector to turn its attention to Asian countries. Around 29 employees from India are expected to come in May-June to work in medicinal plant processing factories.

Companies are considering the possibility of including foreign workers in the medicinal plant collection sector in mountainous areas.

For the period January-March 2023, according to INSTAT data, 28% of exports of the group "Essential oils, industrial or medicinal plants, animal feed" had Germany as their destination, 29% were exported to the USA, and the rest to Turkey, Greece, etc.

As in previous years, demand for medicinal plants in foreign markets is high for 2023 as well. The main exported products are items such as: sage, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and blackberry leaves. The price of blackberry leaves that produce Xhinin has increased by 30%. Increased demand for all types of plants has also been noted in Japan this year."