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Apple Festival in Dvoran, Korça/ The tradition that keeps alive the scent of autumn and the work of farmers

2025-10-05 11:20:00, Qyteti im CNA

Apple Festival in Dvoran, Korça/ The tradition that keeps alive the scent

In the village of Dvoran in Korça, the Apple Festival took place yesterday afternoon, an activity that has now become a tradition for the local community. The festival brought together farmers, residents and visitors from all over the region, who participated in a warm atmosphere, with music, colors and characteristic autumn aromas.

Stands were set up in the center of the village displaying the different varieties of Korça apples, from indigenous ones to newer ones cultivated after the 1990s. The producers presented their work, their many years of experience in this sector, and their efforts to preserve the quality of the fruit that identifies the entire Korça region.

Farmer Ferdinand Dalip, one of the most well-known producers in the area, has been cultivating apples, cherries and plums for years. He says that this celebration is an opportunity to promote local products, to create connections with consumers and to introduce new varieties that are being introduced to the market. Although spring brought difficulties due to weather conditions, he says that this year's production is good and the markets have welcomed Korça apples.

" I am a farmer with long experience in this field. I mainly deal with apples, cherries and plums. Being one of the potential producers in the village, I will definitely participate in the apple festival today. This festival serves to promote our products, to give the buyer or citizen the opportunity to taste the new varieties that we have introduced. Production is somewhat good despite the fact that we had problems at the beginning of the season. In the spring we had quite a bit of damage but still the production is very good. Mainly the autochthonous varieties and the new ones that we introduced after the 1990s go to the market ," said the farmer.

Meanwhile, Serian Bregu, another well-known farmer from Dvorani, emphasizes that the tradition of apple cultivation in this village is very old, since 1956 when the first farm was established. According to him, spring frosts have affected the production of some varieties, especially "Starking", but despite the damage, the "Gold" apple has had a very good yield.

He adds that most of the production is distributed to the Tirana market, while the rest is stored in the refrigerator for later sale, which indicates better production management.

" This is a culture that continues, because our apple has been around since at least 1956, when the first farm was created or the first sapling that came to our village. We will fight to keep the tradition alive as much as we can. This year, apple varieties have been lacking. The Starking variety and its subvarieties are in short supply due to natural conditions, from the frosts that occurred in the spring. Meanwhile, the Gold apple has been great, there were areas that didn't have them, but over 80% of us are ok. We have continued with sales, I personally have removed 40% of my farm to the Tirana market, while 60% is going into the refrigerator ," said Bregu.

Farmer Mit'hat Mustafa, who works about four hectares of apple land, says that dealing with high costs, lack of market, and competition from imports are among the biggest problems farmers face.

He explains that the current price of 50 to 65 lek per kilogram does not always cover the high costs of production, which include labor, fertilizers, tools and agricultural preparations. However, he emphasizes that the local product remains purer, more natural and of higher quality.

" I have 4 ha of apples, 50% of which I rent and I continue to work. We have also been damaged by over 50% in apples, it also depended on the varieties as to who was affected more quickly by the low temperatures. Starking was affected, however, there are some plots that have had it. There has not been much interest. If apples come from abroad, that is the problem. We have our own goods, in our country, for our people. Our production is very clean, very qualitative, but the big bad is that the market comes from abroad. The price this year has started from 50 new lek to 60-65 new lek, depending on the variety. I cannot say that it is a good price for us, because it has costs. It is the wings of our work, it is the tools that work, it is the preparations that are taken, it is the fertilizers that are thrown on the trees and there are expenses ," said Mustafa.

This celebration, besides being an agricultural fair, is also a manifestation of the pride and identity of the residents of Dvorani, who have been known for decades as dedicated apple producers. Music, traditional dances and fruit tastings made the atmosphere warm and lively, turning Dvorani for a day into the center of local production and Korça hospitality.

The Apple Festival not only promotes agriculture and the work of local farmers, but also gives a new spirit to cooperation, solidarity and the belief that Albanian production has great values ??to be supported and developed further./CNA