Tomatoes that are costing us as much as “gold”

Known as the “golden apple,” but for several weeks now all of Albania has been paying for tomatoes as if they were gold. Ironically, what most Albanians consider a vegetable is actually a fruit that has now become one of the most expensive items on the market.

In retail markets, one kilogram of tomatoes is being sold for 400 to 450 lek, while varieties such as cherry tomatoes have reached up to 700–800 lek per kilogram. April is usually considered one of the best periods for domestic tomatoes. Greenhouse production increases supply and, consequently, lowers prices at market stalls. But this year, the opposite is happening.

In January, domestic tomatoes cost around 170 lek/kg, while imported ones were 270–300 lek/kg. Today, domestic tomatoes have reached the price of imported ones, and compared to a year ago, tomato prices have more than doubled.

The price increase is not limited to retail markets. Even at the wholesale level, tomato prices have seen a sharp rise, signaling that the pressure originates at the source. According to data from the Farmer’s Portal, one kilogram of locally grown tomatoes is being traded at 270 to 300 lek at collection points.

In major markets, prices have exceeded 250 lek per kilogram: 270 lek in Tirana and Fier, 280 lek in Vlora, 290 lek in Korça, and up to 300 lek in Gjirokastër. These wholesale prices are directly translating into even higher prices for consumers, widening the gap between farm and table.

Imported tomatoes are also being traded at high wholesale prices, ranging from 280 to 300 lek per kilogram. Specifically, in the markets of Tirana and Farka the price reaches 280 lek/kg, in Fier 300 lek/kg, and in Korça around 290 lek/kg.

The food basket

But tomatoes are only the first signal of a price increase that is now being reflected across the entire food basket. Since the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, markets have reacted with immediate price increases, driven by higher transport costs and uncertainties in supply chains.

In retail markets in Tirana, this wave is already visible. Peppers are being sold for 450 to 500 lek per kilogram, broccoli around 400 lek, while pears and cauliflower reach 300 lek/kg. Strawberries, another seasonal product, are also sold at around 200 lek per kilogram.

In these conditions, rising prices are no longer a problem of a single product, but a chain effect affecting every item on the table. According to agriculture expert Ilir Pilku, beyond the classic supply–demand relationship, price increases are also linked to how the chain from farm to consumer functions.

He explains that the final price includes not only production costs—significantly increased this year due to floods and weather risks—but also the profit margins of intermediaries.

“From the collector to the wholesaler and the retailer, profit margins ranging from 7% to 15% are applied, excluding the 20% VAT,” Pilku states.

In this situation, Pilku suggests direct state intervention such as reducing VAT on basic foods, subsidizing farmers for key inputs, and stronger market monitoring.

However, pressure on prices is not only a matter of the supply chain. According to economics expert Eduard Gjokutaj, the Albanian economy is entering a more dangerous phase, where temporary shocks are turning into a long-term problem. He describes the situation as a “scissors effect,” where domestic supply weakens while imports fail to stabilize prices.

“We are exactly at this stage now, in the middle of the transition from a cyclical shock to structural inflation, where the prices of bread, milk, meat, vegetables, fish, as well as transport and construction services are directly affecting the real well-being of households,” Gjokutaj argues.

Production under strain

Domestic agricultural production is going through a difficult period, with visible consequences in the market. According to INSTAT, exports have declined this year, while imports have increased significantly.

Vegetable imports during January–February increased by 23%, while exports fell by 34%; for fruits, imports rose by over 21%, while exports dropped by 27%.

The main causes include major floods in January that damaged greenhouses and crops, a shortage of labor due to emigration, shrinking cultivated areas, and climate changes with extreme weather. Rising costs to save production, the strengthening of the domestic currency, and cheaper imports from abroad are increasing Albania’s dependence on international markets, driving price increases and exposure to global crises such as the conflict in the Middle East.

Agriculture and economics experts had already warned about this situation, emphasizing that rising fuel prices would immediately translate into inflation and directly impact food prices and the purchasing power of households.

“KORÇA BOOM”