Skopje, 31 January 2023 (MIA) – The country is implementing a new, bold, coordinated reform aimed to increase national food production after 15 years, said Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy Ljupcho Nikolovski on Tuesday.

Minister Nikolovski referred to the new subsidizing model, the ongoing procedures over the construction of three distribution centers in Skopje, Resen and Strumica, while highlighting the support for the real farmers, youth and women.

“The new subsidizing model eliminates all manipulations and irregularities, reduces the informal economy and stimulates domestic contractual production,” Nikolovski told a panel at the conference marking the Government’s year in office.

He added that the Government inherited outstanding subsidies but they have meanwhile been paid in full.

“We are now talking about alignment of our agri-sector with the EU standards through real and serious reforms. According to the new model, 30 percent of the subsidies will be paid in advance, over the course of the year, but the obligation is for farmers to maintain the areas arable. There is a basic subsidy for all crops and additional subsidies for about 25 crops, along with stricter controls and requirement for higher standards from farmers, who will have to prove their production in order to get 100 percent of the subsidy, which was not the case until now,” underlined Nikolovski.