Albanian products, certified both by quality and safety according to international standards, are gaining access to the Western markets. Gjirofarma, a leading Albanian company producing dairy products, has recently entered the overseas market in the United States of America.
Following an ambitious investment in modernization and technology of its plant for milk and dairy products processing under a financial support of 9.3 million lek from the Agricultural and Rural Development Agency, Gjirofarma, launched in 2005, is now exporting “Made in Albania” cheese to U.S., with an initial certificated quantity of 13 tons.
Prime Minister Edi Rama visited Gjirofarma’s plant located in Dropull, southern district of Gjirokastra, to closely inspect the company’s progressive growth of production capacities and sales over the past three years in particular.
“Albanian dairy products are being exported to a Western market for the first time,” the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bledi Çuçi said.
“These production line companies are partly a contribution of the Agricultural and Rural Development Agency. It was the first time we cooperated with ARDA where we found understanding and readiness to cooperate. The supporting schemes help a lot in this process,” the entrepreneur said.
Gjirofarma currently hires 75 employees and with its new investment the company expects to expand its production capacities and the number of employees.
“Production capacity and employment rate have increased over the past three or four years. Company currently employs 75 people and we plan to hire at least 15 to 20 other people. We offer higher salaries compared to other companies. This is one of our strongest points in the market,” he adds.
The company has involved some 400 local farmers for milk collection in Gjirokastra, Tepelene and Përmet. But this entrepreneur’s next challenge is meat and its by-products market.
“I would be great if you consider plans to build a modern slaughterhouse. We have launched a campaign and been working hard to prevent the barbaric slaughter of animals, yet the modern slaughterhouses network is still fragile. The government will provide support for building a slaughterhouse here,” PM Rama said.
