Albanians eye growing exotic fruit for Europe

Passion fruit, guava, dragon fruit or kiwano — climate change is sparking Albanian farmers to start growing exotic fruits to sell to Europe.

- BRISEIDA MEMA

Veteran agronomist Irakli Shkoza’s small farm not far from sea in central Albania is a kind of Garden of Eden in the Adriatic sun.

With temperatures rising every year, Mr Shkoza hit upon the idea to diversify back in 2019 at a time in his life when others would already have been long retired.

The 75-year-old first brought seeds from Africa and America and planted them on his two-hectare (4.9-acre) plot.

All plants have adapted very well to the warm local climate.

Nestled between rolling farmland and the sea, the Divjaka region was the granary of Albania, with farmers there now growing vegetables and watermelons for local and export markets.

WARMING PLANET

But rising temperatures and a worker shortage — the small Balkan nation of 2.7 million has lost 400,000 people in the past decade — have taken their toll on farms.

“Exotic fruits need less water and maintenance, which makes production costs lower,’ Mr Shkoza said.

Albania’s typical Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and. mild winters, has changed due to global warming.