Farmers announce protest; National Agricultural Network demands urgent protection
The Network says multiple agricultural sectors are at a critical point and calls for immediate state action; protest set for Wednesday.
Farmers across North Macedonia have announced a protest, saying conditions in every agricultural sector have reached a critical, irreversible point. The National Agricultural Network (NAN) called for the action and said the demonstration is scheduled for Wednesday.
In an interview with TV 24, NAN president Gjorgji Karakashev described growers as left at the mercy of dominant buyers who pay rock-bottom prices while retail prices remain far higher.
Gjorgji Karakashev – President of the National Agricultural Network
"We have a verifiable production cost of 26 denars per kilogram for peppers; on the other hand, procurement is between 15 and 20 denars, while on the markets you cannot buy peppers for less than 40–50 denars, so someone is making hefty profits on the backs of farmers and, ultimately, on the backs of citizens. Here the main culprit can be freely pointed out as the state because those control mechanisms are not functioning and there is no functional capacity to manage them, and we as farmers are the most harmed in that process."
The opposition party SDSM blamed the government’s policies and reiterated its legislative proposals. From Sveti Nikole today, SDSM leader Venko Filipche urged the Government of North Macedonia to support the opposition’s aid package for farmers.
Venko Filipche – President of SDSM
"We discussed our proposals in Parliament: a draft law to raise the minimum wage to 600 euros and a draft law for financial support in this crisis affecting agriculture. I hope this anti-people, criminal, corrupt and anti‑Macedonian government will truly respond and provide assistance, or at least for once in this past period will listen to the voice of the people."
The government, however, points to 2024 and 2025 as years of strong growth in agricultural exports, results the authorities say stand out compared with export performance over the last 15 years.
Structural decline and long-term complaints
Farmers say the problems have been accumulating for years: cultivated areas used for food production have shrunk, livestock numbers are falling, and there is no long-term state strategy. Growers identify low procurement prices and the absence of effective, long-term policies as the chief causes.
Photo: press material from the event
