Rice producers block Kochani–Shtip road, demand Mden 40 minimum purchase price for rice hulls
Kochani, 11 September 2022 (MIA) – Farmers producing rice in the Kochani and Shtip regions on Sunday blocked the Kochani-Shtip main road, protesting against the low purchace price of rice hulls and high production costs.
The farmers formed tractor blockades near the villages of Obleshevo, Chiflik, Cheshinovo and Krupishte, noting that the blockade will continue into the coming days, and last until they have a meeting with the competent government officials in order to present their problems.
“The production price for a kilogram of rice hulls is between Mden 35-38, and at the moment the purchase price is between Mden 20-23. This means that we don’t have the means even for basic production, to start production, not to mention covering living expenses. At a time when world is facing a food shortage, we have over ten thousand tons of rice that can be exported, but the government is only interested in the energy crisis, although the food crisis is even more important. That is why we call on the Prime Minister and the Minister to come to hear the voice of the farmers,” said Zdravko Arsov, a farmer from Obleshevo.
The rice producers stressed that the minimum purchase price must not be below Mden 40 per kilogram of rice hulls, although it will only be enough to cover basic production costs.
“We demand that rice be urgently included in plant protection measures, like tobacco and grapes, because it is being manipulated, imported, and we are left to fend for ourselves. We expect this request to be put on the agenda at the first session of the Parliament, otherwise these blockades will continue,” said Toni Maksimov, a rice producer from Oblleshevo.
Farmers from Krupishte, Karbinci, Dolni Balvan and the surrounding villages in the Shtip region also came out to protest, demanding higher quality seed material in order to achieve higher yields.
VMRO-DPMNE party members supported the farmers who protested and called on the government to take appropriate measures to solve the issues in agriculture, find an appropriate placement of the food, instead of it being thrown in a landfill or rotting in the fields.
