The growing pains of Albania’s ascendant olive oil sector

Albania is poised for an olive oil production revolution, but leading experts and producers worry that quality may not keep pace. According to Mivan Peci, a consultant for the Albanian Olive Oil Association and food engineer at Musai Olive Oil, the country has produced an annual average of 20,670 tons of olive oil in the past three years. Before 2020/21, annual production hovered between 10,000 and 13,000 tons. “From 2009 to 2013, the Albanian government invested a lot of money in the olive oil sector,” Peci said. The government identified olives as a strategic crop since the trees grow well in the country’s Mediterranean climate and olive cultivation does not require the same capital or labor as other crops. According to Peci, the number of olive trees in the country has increased by 30 percent, with many new trees – mostly the local Kalinjot variety and Frantoio from Italy – entering full maturity in 2021/22. He anticipates production will continue to increase over time. “The ...