The story of a young worker from Albania who became an entrepreneur in Italy
His name is Ermal Gjuzi, he is 29 years old, from Albania, and has been living and working in Scanzano Jonico (Matera) for 10 years now. "I came to Italy as a worker, because I knew there was a demand for labour in the strawberry orchards of Metapontino. Now I am the owner of a farm that employs 50 people, 25 of whom are employed all year round".
Ermal Gjuzi
"During the first five years, I worked hard, while also building trust with my employer, who then supported me in the pursuit of my dream of setting up my own business. I started out growing less than 2 hectares of strawberries, and have now rented 10 hectares, plus another 3 hectares dedicated to vegetables. I grow mainly Sabrosa-Candonga, but one hectare is also cultivated with Fortuna, a variety that allows me to open the strawberry campaign in November.