Last year was difficult for Macedonian agriculture due to false promises and lack of strategy by the government of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, said VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski in an interview with Netpress, expressing support for farmers of all branches who without exception complain at the low purchase price of their crops.
Mickoski pointed out that the revolt that the tobacco growers expressed in front of the Government the other day by burning the tobacco is justified, because Zaev continuously gives false promises for a higher purchase price and reliable placement, while on the other hand their crops remain in the barns, and tobacco is imported from abroad.
“All those false promises, buying time by Zoran Zaev, led some of the tobacco farmers to react and practically express their revolt, firstly because of the low purchase price, and secondly because part of the tobacco will remain unsold. We have serious indications that part of the quantities of tobacco that are necessary in the country was brought from imports, which in itself says that part of the tobacco produced in Macedonia will remain unpurchased and will remain in the barns of tobacco farmers,” said Mickoski.
He explained that 2020 was a difficult year for the farmers, while the government again promised them a decent purchase price, and on the other hand the grapes were purchased at the historically lowest price yet.
The year was difficult for the rice farmers as well, says Mickoski in the interview, the price of rice was extremely low which led to the blocking of the Macedonian roads.
“The same thing happened with the rice farmers, they too blocked the highway Shtip-Kochani in December, the same thing happens today with the apple farmers, apple growers, fruit growers and so on. But not only that, a huge revolt based on the information we receive from Pelagonija and other farmers,” Mickoski said.
