FAO Director-General meets Albanian farmers and academia

Tirana – FAO Director-General QU Dongyu met smallholder farmers and experts at the Agricultural University of Tirana on the second and final day of his visit to Albania.
These engagements followed a meeting with President Bajram Begaj for what was his first official visit to the country. The Director-General was welcomed at the University by the Rector, Fatbardh Sallaku, who provided him with a tour of the facilities, which include an agritourism facility and a laboratory for soil and water testing, where a soil quality test was conducted, as well as a wastewater monitoring laboratory.
FAO and the Agricultural University of Tirana have been collaborating in a variety of areas for many years, and are currently working together on preserving plant genetic resources. The Rector expressed his wish to also expand the partnership to, among others, protecting animal genetic resources.
The Director-General emphasized FAO’s interest in strengthening science and innovation and in enhancing partnerships. He also noted that the University could become an important platform for dialogue and knowledge sharing for the transformation of Albania's agrifood system. The untapped potential of Albania’s coastline is also key, he noted.
The FAO delegation also visited the Uka farm and restaurant near Tirana, which is run by father and son and uses sustainable practices and pays special attention to biodiversity. A visit to a dairy cattle farm provided a showcase for woman agri-entrepreneurship.
The FAO Director-General concluded his field trip at the Mrizi i zanave agritourism, which is run by young agri-entrepreneur and chef Altin Prenga. FAO has provided on-site training and milk hygiene packages to 21 small-scale dairy farmers who are delivering their milk to the restaurant.
Director-General Qu also expressed his appreciation to a group of local farmers who had gathered at the agritourism facility.