Emigration and lifestyle changes reduce bread consumption

Bread consumption is estimated to be decreasing in Albania, reflected in the significant decrease in cereal imports. For the 8th month of 2023, grain imports in quantity were about 16% lower than the same period of 2021, according to INSTAT data.

Market operators attribute this trend to two factors, firstly the change in lifestyle towards a healthier regime that has reduced the consumption of pastries and which has been gradual and secondly the immigration of recent years with a visible effect, especially young people who are also the biggest consumers of pastries.

Hysen Caka, former director of the state bread production factory, says that during the communist period, bread consumption per capita reached 500 to 650 grams per day. Nowadays, according to him, consumption per capita per day reaches up to 300 grams.

While that part of the population that during the months of the pandemic made bread at home, according to Hysen Caka, has returned to shopping at bakeries, since the cost of buying is more profitable than that of preparing bread at home. Actions against informality in electricity payments, according to him, have reduced the number of families that make bread at home over the years. Baking bread at home is more of a tradition left in rural grain growing areas.

Regarding the demand for dough products, according to the Association of Bread, Pastries and Pastries, this year, during the tourist season and the following, fast food stores had more sales. With the departure of foreign tourists and immigrants, the demand for bread, other dough products and pastries has started to drop by up to 20%, except for fast food products that are still growing.

For "Monitor" it was stated that the demand for dough and pastry products is 10 to 20% less compared to the months of the tourist season. Compared to the month of September 2022, the demand appears the same. According to them, in the summer months there was a high increase in demand due to the large influx of tourists.

The situation is the same in Tirana. Compared to the summer months, the demand for dough products appears to decrease due to the departure of tourists. Even according to this producer, the demand has not suffered a contraction compared to the same period of the previous year. According to him, there was a higher increase in the demand for dough products during the summer season in coastal areas such as Durrës and Lezhë.

Until the end of September, operators' forecasts remain optimistic, due to the high demand from hotel facilities. In the coming months, producers do not expect an increase in demand, due to the emigration of the population./Monitor