From the early hours of the morning, the wholesale market in Korçë begins its activity, but for many citizens, everyday shopping has become a major challenge. Pensioners, among the market’s regular customers, say their incomes are not enough to buy food, fruit and vegetables.
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A pensioner who lives in Greece and is in Korçë on holiday says that prices in Albania seemed noticeably higher to her compared with those in Greece.
“Different things, whatever I can find. Very expensive. I live in Greece. Compared with prices in Greece, they are very expensive, and given the wages people earn, they are very expensive. I bought them because I have no choice, I need them. Am I supposed to go without eating?” she says.
Other pensioners say that, because of their low pensions, they choose only the cheapest products.
“How can we buy them with these small pensions? How can we afford them? We come and buy something, maybe a cheap tomato. Obviously, they cannot afford them,” one of them says.
The situation is also difficult for traders, who report a significant drop in purchases. According to them, production costs, rising agricultural input prices and a lack of support are further worsening the situation.
At the Korçë market, both consumers and traders are facing major problems. Pensioners cannot afford the prices, while sellers are suffering from falling demand and high expenses. For families with low incomes, the daily shopping basket is becoming increasingly burdensome.
