'Garden Of Eden': Albania Eyes Up Growing Exotic Fruit For Europe

Albanian farmers are growing exotic fruits like dragon fruit and kiwano as climate change creates warmer conditions, boosting exports to Europe.

Transcript

00:00In Albania, farmers are growing exotic fruits like dragon fruit, guava and passion fruit.

00:15The climate is changing and temperatures are rising every year. That change is helping

00:25Albanian farmers grow fruits once found only in faraway places.

00:33Dragon fruit is the passion fruit. Avocado, guava, fejoa, cherimoja, and some other plants,

00:48when we came to the country in Europe, the farmers are very important and necessary

00:58for them to succeed in the cultivating culture.

01:02Because they are prioritized by climate and by the country.

01:06The products are coming from a very large area,

01:09they have only problems with these large areas,

01:12such as the cost and the other ones are not fresh in the country.

01:20These fruits need less water and care, which means they are cheaper to grow.

01:25Albania's warm weather makes it easier for them to ripen naturally on the trees.

01:30Unlike imported fruits, these are fresh, local, and full of flavor.

01:36Farms here are already sending fruits like kiwano and pepino to markets in Europe.

01:47Everywhere, for example, papaya, they harvest green.

01:52Green in Europe and until artificial condition they make it to maturate.

01:59All these things here can be maturate on the tree.

02:04We have no natural enemies here in Albania.

02:07We didn't put any drop of some chemicals even to this, to dragon fruit, to maracuja,

02:16even one drop of some kind of pesticide. This is it. It's very clear.

02:22Experts say Albania could earn up to 200 million euros a year from exotic fruit exports.

02:33Climate change is a big challenge, but farmers in Albania are turning it into an opportunity.

02:38Thank you very much.

02:41You are welcome.

02:42Have a great day.

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02:45Take care.

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02:53Bye.

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