We at IOM Albania, under the Diaspora Programme, funded by AICS Tirana decided to celebrate the #sdgweek2021 Albania with hardworking and inspiring farmers like Lulzim Bullari and Ermir Hylviu who have chosen to provide for their families and contribute to their communities through investment in agriculture.

Working with farmers like Lulzim and Ermir the Diaspora Programme is directly contributing to the SDG goal 8 for the economic growth of rural communities. Lulzim is cultivating almost everything, pomegranate, figs, walnuts, kiwi, and he is also producing dairy products and honey. After being successful in the national market he has started to explore the international ones. He has high interest to expand his export in Italy, and he admits that to be able to grow and make his products more competitive for the international markets, he needs support and technical expertise from them who have 'already walked in his shoes'.

While many young Albanian have chosen to leave the country over the years, Ermir Hylviu is one of young farmers who has decided to build his future in Albania by investing in agriculture. He has planted 23 hectares of pomegranate trees. He puts all his passion and energy in his new investment, but as every new start he has his own challenges. He is eager to learn and gain knowledge on how to better raise the pomegranate trees and be a successful entrepreneur.

During the field demonstration in his pomegranate plantation, Ermir and the Italian fruticulture expert had very engaging and practical discussion on the best technical practices to be applied in the pomegranates planed.

The field demonstrations are very effective in the agriculture to practically learn from the best practices of the Albanian diaspora and Italian experts. Lulzim and Ermir received practical and reach information on crop protection, certification and organic methods, export requirement and other technicalities from the experts visiting his plantations.

Under IOM founded project “Diaspora’s Engagement in Agricultural Know-How Transfer to Albania”, implemented in partnership with Albanian Diaspora Business Chamber and Italian Association of Producers, we are organizing field exchange of know how between Italian agriculture experts also coming from Albanian Diaspora in Italy and Albanian farmers. As part of this project an online training platform “Diaspora teach us” has been created and over 12 farmers and exporters have been trained.