Flour and bread, as staples, have reached record high prices like never before. A kilo of flour and a loaf of bread are sold for 60 denars. The high price of flour and bread is primarily caused by the incompetence and criminogenicity of the government led by SDSM. Since the beginning of the crisis until today, the Government has not intervened once in the market by putting into circulation part of the state reserves. And secondly, for 5 years in a row, wheat production is falling. So, if in 2016 over 310,000 tons of wheat were produced, which is enough to meet domestic needs, now less than 250,000 tons are produced, that is 60,000 tons less production, Chair of the Commission for agriculture, forestry and water management Cvetan Tripunovski said at Friday’s press conference.
Tripunovski pointed out that the wrong policies of SDSM made Macedonia import dependent on food and more vulnerable to price shocks.
“If this pace of negligence by the Government continues, we are threatened with hunger. That is why we propose: The Government should intervene with 40,000 tons of wheat from commodity reserves, so that bread does not become a luxury. Unless urgent measures are taken by putting wheat into circulation from state reserves, prices will rise and bread and flour will literally be a luxury for our fellow citizens. The release of 40,000 tons of wheat by the beginning of the harvest will prevent an increase in the price of flour and bread, and will also reduce the same price,” added Tripunovski.
