The Competition Authority has completed the assessment of practices in the market for the collection and wholesale of fruit and vegetables in the counties of Tirana, Elbasan, Berat, Fier, and Korçë, following an in-depth investigative procedure that lasted nearly two years and included market monitoring, a preliminary investigation, and an in-depth investigation.
At its meeting of 26.11.2025, the Competition Commission adopted Decisions No. 1234–1239, by which it found that a group of collecting undertakings – Omer Fruit SHPK, Nedrete Arapi PF, Besim Thaqi PF, Morina Grup SHPK, Fruit-To-Zela SHPK, and Roland-2012 SHPK – had coordinated purchase prices during seasonal periods, dictating prices to the detriment of farmers and applying very high mark-ups (surcharges over costs), of up to 115%.
This concerted conduct constitutes a prohibited agreement under Article 4 of Law No. 9121/2003 and has been classified as a serious infringement, for which the Commission imposed fines of up to 0.15% of the turnover of the preceding financial year.
Why this decision is important for farmers throughout Albania
The in-depth investigation showed that certain collectors, due to their bargaining power, had created a situation in which farmers were often faced with:
dictated and coordinated prices,
closed doors to negotiation,
excessive dependence on a small number of buyers,
pressure to reduce prices,
and delayed settlement of payments.
The decision of the Competition Authority directly addresses these issues and strengthens the position of farmers in the market by creating conditions for:
fairer and more transparent prices,
fair competition among collectors,
real opportunities of choice for farmers,
more secure payments and more balanced contractual relationships,
the curbing of coordinated schemes that were harming the entire national market.
Moreover, although six undertakings were fined, the effect of the decision extends across the entire national market, as it:
clarifies prohibited practices,
sets new standards for price transparency,
aims to discipline the fruit and vegetable market,
and promotes fair competition for all market participants.
This represents a structural intervention with a direct impact on the food supply chain and a clear signal that the Competition Authority protects the interests of farmers, a category that often faces significant inequalities in negotiations.
Obligations and corrective measures for collectors
The Commission has ordered the fined undertakings to:
visibly display the current prices of the products they collect,
be subject to monitoring by the Competition Authority for a period of one year.
These measures aim to increase transparency and create a fairer market for farmers.
Recommendations to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
By Decision No. 1240, the Competition Commission addressed the responsible institutions with important recommendations for market reform, including:
minimizing informality throughout the trading chain,
drafting a new legal framework in line with EU standards,
establishing a national online price platform (agri-food exchange),
introducing mandatory and standardized contracts,
and cooperating on the transposition of the EU Directive on Unfair Trading Practices (UTP).
Through these decisions, the Competition Authority continues to fulfill its mission to ensure free and fair competition, contributing directly to the protection of farmers, increased transparency, and the fairer functioning of the agri-food market in Albania.