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The number of livestock heads is declining rapidly and the demand for dairy products is increasing from year to year, also as a result of the increasing number of tourists. This is causing dairy imports to grow rapidly.
Foreign trade data show that during the first 5 months of 2021, imports of dairy products and eggs marked an annual increase of 18%. The growth was stronger in May, as the increase in monthly volumes of dairy imports marked an annual increase of 42% (see attached chart).
Managers in dairy processing plants explained the growing trend of supplies of raw materials from imports because there is a shortage of supply in the domestic market, but also the fact that the price of processed milk from Serbian markets is cheaper farmers’ products.
The increase in raw material costs has been fatal for Albanian livestock farms, which import almost all foodstuffs from abroad. As feed prices have risen by more than 50 per cent this year, farmers who are not subsidized by the state have raised the price of milk by over 30%. Meanwhile, factories have increased the prices of dairy products by the same percentage.
The growth of dairy imports has become aggressive over the last three years. Official data on foreign trade, during 2021, show that imports of dairy, eggs and honey increased by 27%, reaching a total value of ALL 4.7 billion (EUR 38.8 million).
More detailed data show that imports in this group are led by dairy and that the increase during 2021 is created by the increase of milk imports from Serbia, which has affected 25% of total growth.
Dairy imports from this country reached 327 million ALL in 2021, with an increase of 251% compared to 2020.
According to INSTAT data, the number of heads in livestock has dropped significantly in recent years. The number of cattle in 2020 is 362,583 heads, marking a decrease of 12.76%, compared to 2019. The number of cattle is 1.55 million heads, marking a decrease of 11.40%, compared to 2019. Also the number of goats in 2020 was 774,332 heads, experiencing an annual decrease of 10.26%, compared to 2019.
According to INSTAT data, in 2020, the total amount of milk collected is about 119 thousand tons, decreasing by 14.80%, compared to 2019. During this period, the amount of cow milk collected is about 101 thousand tons, decreasing by 18.45%, compared to 2019. / B. Hoxha / Monitor.al
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