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| A woman smelling a freshly baked bread (archive) |
Bread consumption is reported to be declining in Albania, reflecting a significant drop in wheat imports. For the first 8 months of 2023, wheat imports were approximately 16% lower than the same period in 2021, according to data from INSTAT.
Market operators attribute this trend to two factors: firstly, a shift towards a healthier lifestyle, reducing flour consumption, which has been gradual; and secondly, a noticeable effect of recent emigration, especially among the youth who are significant consumers of wheat products, Monitor reports.
Hysen Caka, the former director of the state-owned bread production factory, mentioned that during the communist period, per capita bread consumption reached 500 to 650 grams per day. Nowadays, according to him, per capita consumption has decreased to around 300 grams per day.
Consumption has changed over the years due to the lifestyle choices of Albanians, especially following dieticians' advice to reduce bread consumption, which he believes is misguided since the nutritional values of bread remain indispensable for the body. He adds that in recent years, the decline in bread consumption has been influenced by demographic factors, including the emigration of the population, particularly the youth.
While a portion of the population turned to baking bread at home during the pandemic, according to Hysen Caka, they have returned to buying from bakeries, as the cost of purchasing is more advantageous than the cost of baking at home. Actions against informality in electricity payments, according to him, over the years have reduced the number of families making bread at home. The tradition of baking bread at home is more prevalent in rural grain-producing areas.
Regarding the demand for flour products, the Association of Bread, Pastries, and Flour notes that this year, during the tourist season and beyond, there were more sales in shops offering fast-food products. With the departure of foreign tourists and emigrants, a decline in demand for bread, other flour products, and pastries has been observed in bakeries, up to 20%, except for fast-food products, which are still growing.
Representatives of "Xhorxh Bush Bakery" in Fushë-Krujë and Krujë told "Monitor" that demand for flour products and pastries is 10 to 20% less compared to the months of the tourist season. Compared to September 2022, the demand appears to be the same. According to them, there was a significant increase in demand during the summer months due to a large influx of tourists.
The situation is similar in Tirana. "Caka Company" stated that compared to the summer months, demand for flour products is declining due to the departure of tourists. Even according to this producer, demand has not decreased compared to the same period of the previous year. According to him, there was a higher demand for flour products during the summer season, especially in coastal areas like Durrës and Lezhë.
In the January-June period, the number of foreign nationals entering Albanian territory is 3,396,932. This figure has increased by 33%, compared to the same period in 2022. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, for the first 6 months of the year, it is reported that over 1.38 million visitors entered Albania from Kosovo, an increase of 43% compared to the same period last year. Italians rank second, with 310,000 visitors from the neighboring country, marking a record for the first 6 months. Tourists from Kosovo constitute 40% of the total tourists, while those from Italy make up 9%.