Scents of sage, lavender and cornflowers rise from the meadows of Albania, which has seen soaring demand for medicinal herbs since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Sheqeras, at the foot of the Mali i Thate mountain in the south, it is the season for cornflowers, a plant traditionally valued for its ability to boost the metabolism and resistance to infections.
Early in the morning, before the heat of the day, dozens of women wearing broad-rimmed hats, handpick the magnificent signature-blue flowers that attract clouds of butterflies and bees.
Photo: AFP
The cornflowers are then dried in darkened rooms to preserve their color, before being shipped abroad.
For the past few years, Albania has been one of Europe’s top producers of medicinal herbs, mostly wild plants harvested in the foothills. About 95 percent are exported to the US, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and Italy.
Demand has been soaring since the COVID-19 pandemic increased interest in herbs believed to strengthen the immune system, and amid growing enthusiasm for natural and organic products.
“Every cloud has a silver lining,” said Altin Xhaja, whose company, Albrut, has, like many others in the sector, expanded areas under cultivation and intensified harvesting of wildflowers.
Albania last year exported more than 14,000 tonnes of medicinal and aromatic herbs worth about 50 million euros (US$59 million).
That was 15 percent more than the previous year, official data showed.
That trend is continuing, with exports 20 percent higher year-on-year in the first three months of this year.
The boom is a windfall for one of Europe’s poorest nations which, with a population of 2.8 million, is largely dependent on tourism along the Adriatic coast that has been hard-hit by the pandemic.
Nettle, wild apple trees, cowslip and other medicinal plants provide a living for about 100,000 Albanians, who have long used them in traditional remedies.
“It’s a race against time. We have to be quick,” Xhaja said. “Cornflowers are the most expensive at the moment — a kilo of dried flowers will go for around 30 euros.”
As dozens of workers busily selected and sorted plants at his factory in Lac, Filip Gjoka said that the sector has also benefited from tensions between Washington and Beijing.
“The trade war between the United States and China has forced many Western players to turn towards the Albanian market,” said Gjoka, who also heads the national association of medicinal and aromatic herbs.
About 30 Albanian companies are authorized to export the plants used in herbal medicine due to their anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and even anti-stress properties.
They are used to make teas rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, oils or ointments.
The rocky plateaus in Albania’s north are home to sage, for which demand has increased by 40 percent, prompting farmers to increase the area under cultivation.
“It was unforeseen. It had to be done quickly to be able to respond” to the demand, said farmer Pjeter Cukaj, as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“These plants provide a living for more than 50 percent of families in the region,” he said, crediting local sage, lavender and wild herbs with “magical powers” for the health.
However, farmers have complained about the difficulty in finding funding for expansion, and the construction of storage and drying facilities, saying that any financial aid they do get comes in dribs and drabs.
They are also calling for a law on labeling to guarantee quality, which would promote the sector’s growth.
“Everything is pure, without pesticides, without anything,” said Edlira Licaj as she pulled weeds from around the sage along with a dozen other women. “We do everything by hand.”
Meanwhile, 91-year-old Drane Cukaj attributes her longevity to the sage infusion she drinks every morning.
“Life is in the meadows, sage is my life, my love, it has always made me happy,” said the mother of nine, who also has 40 grandchildren.
Cukaj said that she is convinced that the wild herbs “help against the coronavirus.”
Still, that did not stop her from getting vaccinated — just in case.
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