Maize flour and cereals market in Albania

Earlier Report Observations

The maize flour and cereals market in Albania saw initial growth in 2019, but volume dropped to 4 683 t in 2020. This decline was caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted food supply chains and reduced commercial demand through restaurant and food service closures.

After stabilizing near 4 600 t in 2021, the market expanded strongly, reaching 5 342 t in 2022 and 6 381 t in 2023. This growth was primarily driven by rising consumer preference for gluten-free and organic maize flour products due to increasing health consciousness. Concurrently, the food processing sector, including bakery and snack manufacturing, increased its consumption of maize flour as an ingredient.

New product variants such as stone-ground, non-GMO, and flavored maize flour further stimulated demand by catering to consumer interest in natural and health-oriented foods. However, supply chain disruptions and raw material price volatility introduced challenges to market stability during this period of growth.

Production maize flour and cereals in Albania

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of maize flour and cereals, 2017-2020

World map of production of maize flour and cereals, 2017-2020

Albania's production of maize flour and cereals has declined for the second year in a row. In 2020, the country produced 3 988 tonnes, which represents a 10.4% decrease compared to the previous year. Looking at the period from 2017 to 2020, production fell by 14.4%, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.1%. The highest production level was recorded in 2018 at 4 792 tonnes, which also saw the largest annual increase of 2.8%.

Annual dynamics of production in Albania in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports maize flour and cereals from Albania

According to market research, Albania did not export any maize flour and cereals between 2017 and 2020.

Imports maize flour and cereals to Albania

Imports in kind, t

The import market for maize flour and cereals in Albania showed significant volatility during the observed period. In 2018, imports reached their lowest point at 236.4 tonnes, marking a substantial decline of 39.6%. The following year, 2019, saw imports surge to a peak of 754.9 tonnes, representing a dramatic increase of 219.3%. By 2020, imports had decreased to 695.8 tonnes, showing a modest drop of 7.8% compared to 2019. Overall, the difference between the peak in 2019 and the trough in 2018 was 3.2-fold.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Albania in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Serbia and Greece together accounted for 93.8% of Albania's total imports of maize flour and cereals by volume. This high level of concentration highlights the dominance of these two markets, with other suppliers playing only a minor role.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Albania in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

The value of maize flour and cereals imports in Albania displayed an unstable pattern over the timeframe. In 2018, imports hit their lowest point at 83.5 thousand US dollars, reflecting a significant decline of 33.0%. The following year, 2019, saw imports peak at 349.5 thousand US dollars, with a sharp increase of 318.5%. By 2020, imports had fallen to 250.9 thousand US dollars, showing a year-on-year drop of 28.2%. The gap between the peak in 2019 and the trough in 2018 was 4.2-fold.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Albania in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, Greece and Serbia were the leading suppliers of maize flour and cereals to Albania in value terms, together accounting for 84.4% of total imports. Other trading partners contributed only a small fraction to the overall import value.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Albania in value, 2017-2020