Income-generating opportunities are limited for women and members of marginalized groups who live in rural areas of Kosovo. To boost job creation and overall economic growth, USAID is providing grants to small- and medium-sized businesses to help them expand operations and improve production.

The agricultural sector, in particular, is primed for export-oriented growth, as European markets increasingly look to Kosovo for high-value products. On June 25, Deputy Chief of Mission Colleen Hyland and USAID Mission Director Lisa Magno inaugurated a new collection center for medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) in Kacanik.  The center is run by Biofruti, a woman-owned local company that aggregates, dries, and exports MAPs collected by female farmers from Kaçanik and Ferizaj.  USAID, through its agriculture program, provided a grant to Biofruti to help the company construct the collection facility and purchase agricultural equipment and materials.

To date, USAID has helped agribusinesses in Kosovo create over 4,000 new jobs and generate nearly $100 million in domestic and export sales.