Albanian Olive Oil Wins Gold, Producers Unite to Meet Export Volume
MARCH 5, 2008 Gold medal honors were awarded to four olive oil producers, all members of the Albanian Alimentary Oil Association (AOA), who participated at the 4th International Olive Oil Congress ‘Olive Split 2008’ held on February 23 in Split, Croatia. The conference aimed to promote high quality olive oil produced in Croatia, Montenegro, and Albania. The President of AOA, Mrs. Valentina Postoli, and Vice President, Mr. Raimond Carapuli, along the owners of Albania’s leading olive oil companies, ANI, IVAP, JAL, Alboliva, Skilja and Ibrahimi, attended the two-day event. USAID sponsored the Albanian delegation and facilitated meetings with technology and packaging suppliers and foreign buyers. These opportunities will help Albanian processors expand business relationships with buyers and adopt new marketing strategies to be more competitive in the region.
Albanian suppliers and foreign buyers were positive with hopes of expanding upon the success made in 2006 by an Albania-Croatian collaboration. Two years ago, ANI sh.p.k. exported 46 tons of extra virgin olive oil to the Croatian company Tenchini, one of the largest Croatian olive buyers, wholesalers, and exporters in the region. Although AOA members have produced too little olive oil from this year’s harvest to export individually, the quality of the harvest was good – exemplified by the gold medals earned at the competition, and now several producers are planning to pool their resources to meet export volume requirements and collaborate on prices during the summer months.
The Albanian delegation also received lessons on marketing for tourism. In the middle of the historic part of Split, the delegation met with the owners of an olive oil showroom where high-value packaged products could be sold to tourists. The next day the group visited the Novak Commerce olive oil facility and was introduced to a new business model which utilized to great effect the very latest processing line as well as contracts with farmers and offering support services.
Albania will host its first Albanian Olive Oil Day in May 2008 in Himara which will be organized by the Municipality of Himara, the AOA, and USAID.
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