CNVP visited the Morava Honey Farm outside Korca on Friday, 16 February 2018 to understand better the honey value chain, including the quality management procedures used. Morava has more than 25 years’ experience of honey production and trading. It has been certified ISSO 22000 and HACCP. Honey is collected from more than 100 beekeepers in the Korca region, as well as from the municipalities of Gjirokastër, Përmet, Delvinë, Vlorë, Librazhd, Pogradec, Gramsh, Berat etc.

CNVP has worked for more than 3 years with Morava to improve its value chain, and its understanding of EU standards for honey production. Before collaboration with CNVP. Morava’s labelling and quality management was poorly organised. Beekeepers delivered their honey in inappropriate and unclean cans that were old and had been used for other products e.g. olive oil, jam etc., thereby lowering the quality of honey delivered. Morava requested CNVP’s help to introduce beekeepers to EU standards. CNVP organized training to improve collection and packaging, especially the use of clean container cans to upgrade the value chain. In 2017, 65 beekeepers used more than 500 cans for the marketing and transportation of honey to Morava.

Support to Morava has been given through the Sida-funded project Forests for Local Economic Development (FLED) that is being implemented by CNVP Albania. Possibilities for further collaboration between Morava and CNVP were identified during the recent visit.