SDSM announces legal measures to aid rice producers
Venko Filipche told farmers in Grdovci that SDSM MPs will submit bills on subsidies and purchase-price guarantees.
The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) said it will submit draft laws in the Assembly aimed at addressing the problems faced by rice producers and other farmers, party leader Venko Filipche announced during an evening meeting with local growers in the village of Grdovci in the Kočani area.
Filipche told farmers that the sector is under serious pressure because production costs have risen while purchase prices remain low, and he accused the Government of lacking the will to respond to farmers' needs.
“Many problems are piling up. The government has no willingness to respond to farmers. You see, only half-hearted announcements. It's all lies. We saw that everything is a lie. Peppers were announced at 40 denars but are bought for 20 denars. People know that in our time it was 50 denars per kilogram. It is like that with rice, with milk, with wheat, with vine growers. It was like that last year, we gave a proposal, they did not accept it. But many problems are already accumulating. It is not one. Now we are fighting to reach purchase prices in agriculture like in our time, and costs have risen by at least 30 percent. There is no money for farmers, none in the economy, no money for VAT refunds, companies cannot pay down debts, the crisis only deepens,” Filipche said.
Parliamentary group to table measures on subsidies and price guarantees
Filipche said the SDSM parliamentary group will prepare new legislative proposals based on demands and information gathered directly from the field. The measures will include changes to subsidies and guarantees for purchase prices so producers can secure higher, stable returns.
He also announced a specific change for another crop: SDSM will submit a law to increase the purchase price of grapes by 5 denars per kilogram. “We are here to come forward with concrete proposals. I do not know how the government will react, I personally think they will do nothing, but the point is to fight. To show people that we have proposals, we have ideas. We will propose laws in the Assembly, on subsidies, on purchase prices,” Filipche said.
Photo: press material from the event
