**3. Olive age and cultivars in Albania**

According to the age of the olives there is a visible distinction that divides the olive plantations into two groups;


Olive Oil Sector in Albania and Its Perspective 501

More organized logistics are necessary to cope with such evolution. Total mark up in the post-production section of the food chain is also likely to increase, as prices are already high. This is likely to put more pressure on producers to reduce sales prices. For olive oil and

 Organized distribution needs regular supplies of relatively large quantities of products. The role of bottlers will further increase and medium producers will be forced to upgrade their distribution system or to reduce the share of olive oil sold with their own brand. This evolution is also representing a challenge for the small modern processors which will be forced to increase the resources devoted to marketing, as increasing

 An increasing role will be played by wholesale markets in distribution of table olives, thus facilitating in the short term a further increase in the number of small wholesalers/processors. Generally, wholesalers and importers will become more

Most urban dwellers buy olive oil in mini-markets and traditional retail outlets whereas imported olive oil is almost exclusively sold through supermarkets. Organized distribution is catching an increasing share of customers. These outlets do not represent any more the higher end of retailing business. Supermarkets are adjusting their prices to those ones of traditional retailers, aiming at widening the range of customers beyond the middle income consumers' segment. Restaurants and other catering outlets are buying, with few exceptions, the cheapest qualities of olive oil. Limited purchasing of higher quality olive oil is made by high-end restaurants. Apart from self-consumption, olive oil in rural areas is mostly informally traded and purchased from local oil mills. A smaller share, estimated in 30% of the total or less, is sold usually by the liter (i.e. not bottled), in traditional retail outlets. Retail shops and green markets are the prevalent market channels in rural areas

Until the end of the 1970s the olive oil processing was done in traditional primitive ways by the peasants themselves. Gradually with the increases in yield, some plants were built. These were very old technology fashioned plants. Only at the beginning of the 1980s some presses were imported from Italy, and this was the start of innovations in the oil manufacturing plants. Actually almost half of olive oil existing processing plants use the "Pieralisi" type presses for the olive oil production (Figure 3). Second popular kind of press is Alfa Laval with 15% and the next significant types are Eno Rossi (11%) and Mix (5 %). The situation shows that the processing olive oil technology is dominated by three phase

After the 1990s, a lot of investments were done in the olive oil processing industry. According to a study done by IFDC in 2002, the total amount of investments in this sector is 1442 million Lekë (or 10.686.230,92 euro). The regions with the highest amount of investment are Vlora with 25.0% of the total, Tirana with 17.6%, Saranda with 17.5%, and

number of wealthy customers will make their purchases in supermarkets.

table olives, such evolution is likely to induce the following changes:

important players in the table olive trading.

where there is no olive oil production.

**5. Financing the olive oil sector** 

Fier with 13.8% of the total investments.

decanters.

Based on the statistical data the proportion of the olives according to their age result as follows: Olive plantations above 100 years old (30% of the total olive trees), Olive plantations from 30-40 years old (45%) and Olive plantations from 10-20 years old (25%).

One of the most important factors affecting productivity of the olive tree is its cultivar. Albania is rich with more than 28 varieties grown throughout the country. The nine most cultivated are listed in Table 3. With the exception of the Frantoio variety introduced from Italy, the other eight most commonly grown varieties are native to Albania. The two leaders are "Kalinjot", which covers about 40% of the total plantations for oil and table use; and "Kokermadh i Beratit", representing approximately 21% of table olives. The interaction of the Albanian varieties with the local environment (soil, climate, altitude) and cultural practices results in the special characteristics and tastes distinctive to the oils produced in various regions of throughout Albania.


Table 3. Olive cultivars in Albania (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Protection, 2009)
