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Albania
Fertilizers, Pesticides, and Seeds
During peak years, Albania had used fertilizers less than almost
any other nation in Eastern Europe. Nevertheless, in the early
1990s the agricultural sector experienced a fertilizer shortage;
supplies of pesticides and hybrid seed also ran low. In 1989 Albanian
farmers had applied about 158 kilograms of active ingredients
per hectare, but the country's economic breakdown pushed the total
down to 135 kilograms in 1990 and 38 kilograms in 1991. A lack
of hard currency caused fertilizer supplies to drop 80 percent
and pesticide reserves to fall 63 percent. Ironically, intensive
application of lindane and other pesticides as well as disinfectants
for treating soil at seeding time, in combination with monocropping
of wheat and corn, had destroyed many pests' natural enemies and
increased dependency on pesticides. Although Albania's agricultural
research institutes produced sufficient foundation seed, obsolete
sorting and cleaning equipment lowered seed quality. Varietal
improvement was dependent on the crossing of local strains. The
breakup of collective farms, which produced most of the wheat
and corn seed, forced farmers to seek new seed suppliers.
Data as of April 1992
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