Shtip, 16 April 2026 (MIA) — Agricultural experts, professors and students from seven countries convened Thursday at Goce Delchev University for the 5th annual Agroscience and Practice international conference.

At the conference, local attendees as well as participants from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Turkiye discussed maintaining food production amid worsening climate change.

Faculty of Agriculture dean Emilija Arsov noted that the university was prioritizing direct support for local farmers.

"Young people are our future," Arsov said. "To have a bright future, everyone — including the youth — must work together in agricultural practice to improve production."

She noted that over 30 industry representatives also attended the conference to showcase their work and share their experiences.

"As a faculty and as an institution, we always stand by our producers to ensure they have our full support," said Arsov.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy Cvetan Tripunovski told attendees that connecting science with the private sector was essential for developing government policy.

He stressed that the ministry worked closely with scientific institutions and that young people were the future leaders of the agricultural industry.

"Every strategy and document must be supported by scientific influence," Tripunovski said. "That is how we create effective policies."

Local farmers at the event said that if the government provided a bit more help, things would improve for everyone.

According to them, college graduates should focus on agricultural careers so domestic companies can see a real benefit. mr/