USAID Supports Annual Mandarin Festival

Saturday, December 3, 2016
The Mandarin Festival included a Harvest Competition, Fair and Concert for the community.
AAC Lushnja

USAID and local solutions partner, AAC Lushnja, in collaboration with Konispol Municipality organized last weekend the Mandarin Festival in Xarre, Mursi. The Minister of Energy and Industry, Mr. Damian Gjiknuri, Parliament Deputies, Konispol, Sarande and Delvine Mayors, Vlore and Saranda Regional Directorates of Agriculture, extension agents, citrus growers, consolidators and exporters participated in the event. The event included a Harvest Competition, Fair and Concert for the community. During the last years the citrus sector is one of the agriculture sectors undergoing a rapid and dynamic development. USAID worked with mandarin growers in Xarra to develop a citrus production growth strategy, and over the last several years has provided technical assistance to support investments in new technologies and infrastructure.  As a result, there has been a revival in citrus production in the region and farmers have begun to export to Kosovo.  As of December 2016, Albania is exporting 75-80 tons a day to Kosovo with another 100 tons placed in the domestic market each day. From Xarra alone, 50 tons have been exported to Czech Republic and 25 tons to Macedonia.