Onions and shallots market in Albania

Earlier Report Observations

The Albanian market for fresh onions and shallots demonstrated consistent growth from 2018 to 2023, with volume expanding from 140.5 thousand tons to 168.6 thousand tons. This upward trajectory was primarily driven by rising domestic production, which increased from 138.8 thousand tons to 165.3 thousand tons over the same period. A key contributor was significant public investment in rehabilitating rural infrastructure, especially irrigation systems, which enhanced agricultural yields and capacity for fresh produce, including onions and shallots.

The market experienced a notable shift during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which disrupted supply chains and altered consumer behavior towards a greater reliance on local food sources. In the following years, evolving consumer preferences for fresher and safer food products, spurred by increased awareness of food security, further sustained domestic demand. Concurrently, Albanian authorities implemented stricter food safety standards and quality controls, reinforcing consumer confidence in the market.

Despite ongoing economic pressures such as inflation and rising fuel costs that impacted production expenses, the market volume continued its growth into 2023. Imports and exports remained volatile but secondary to domestic production, which remained the cornerstone of market supply throughout the period.

Production onions and shallots in Albania

In kind, 2017-2020, K t

Top producers of onions and shallots, 2017-2020

World map of production of onions and shallots, 2017-2020

Albania's production of onions and shallots has increased for the second year in a row. In 2019, output reached 149.6 thousand tonnes, marking a significant rise of 7.8% from the previous year. Production then grew further in 2020 to 153.8 thousand tonnes, a modest increase of 2.8% compared to 2019. The lowest production level was recorded in 2018 at 138.8 thousand tonnes, which represented a sharp decline of 9.9% from 2017.

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

Exports onions and shallots from Albania

Exports in kind, t

Export volumes of onions and shallots from Albania showed considerable volatility between 2017 and 2020. The lowest point was in 2017, with exports then surging by 181.3% to reach a peak of 3 524 tonnes in 2019. In 2020, exports fell sharply to 1 845 tonnes, a decrease of 47.6% compared to the previous year. Overall, exports varied by 5.1 times from the high in 2019 to the low in 2017.

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Albania in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Albania's exports of onions and shallots were concentrated in three key markets: North Macedonia accounted for 31.4% of export volumes, Serbia for 21.6%, and Montenegro for 21.0%. Together, these three countries represented 74.0% of Albania's total export flows during this period.

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

World map of product's exports from Albania in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

The value of Albania's onion and shallot exports displayed significant fluctuations from 2017 to 2020. Exports hit their lowest point in 2017, then jumped by 277.3% to reach a peak of 1 230 thousand US dollars in 2019. In 2020, export value dropped to 577 thousand US dollars, a decline of 53.1% compared to 2019. Overall, export values varied by 7.6 times between the peak in 2019 and the trough in 2017.

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

Between 2017 and 2020, Montenegro was the leading destination for Albania's onion and shallot exports in value terms, accounting for 26.3% of the total. Serbia followed with 24.1%, and North Macedonia with 17.6%. These three markets together represented 68.0% of Albania's total export value during this period.

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

World map of product's exports from Albania in value, 2017-2020

Imports onions and shallots to Albania

Imports in kind, t

Albania's imports of onions and shallots in volume terms decreased by 20.6% overall from 2017 to 2020, with an average annual decline of 7.4%. Imports reached their lowest point in 2018 at 2 968 tonnes, then surged by 62.5% to a peak of 4 821 tonnes in 2019. In 2020, imports fell to 3 140 tonnes, a sharp drop of 34.9% compared to the previous year.

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

From 2017 to 2020, Serbia dominated Albania's imports of onions and shallots in volume terms, accounting for 80.2% of total imports. Other countries each held much smaller shares during this period.

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 Albania's onion and shallot imports showed noticeable fluctuations between 2017 and 2020. Imports reached their lowest point in 2018 at 1 651 thousand US dollars, then increased by 88.2% to a peak of 3 106 thousand US dollars in 2019. In 2020, import value declined to 2 284 thousand US dollars, a drop of 26.5% compared to 2019. Overall, import values varied by 1.9 times between the peak in 2019 and the low in 2018.

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

Between 2017 and 2020, Serbia and the Netherlands were the dominant sources for Albania's imports of onions and shallots in value terms, together accounting for 95.1% of total import value. The remaining share was distributed among other countries.

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

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