Pelagonia farmers announce protest over unpaid subsidies and falling milk prices
Protest on 30 September near Topolchani after months of unpaid subsidies, falling milk prices and rising production costs.
Farmers and livestock breeders in the Pelagonia region are mobilising after months of delayed payments and falling milk prices, saying many producers are financially exhausted and the sector is nearing collapse.
Organisers say arrears and production costs pushed them to action
Livestock producers say they still have not received the premium for delivered milk for ten months, nor last year’s per-head livestock subsidies, while the purchase price for milk has steadily declined.
"Subsidies per liter of milk delivered for six months of 2025 and for the first four months of 2026 have not been paid to us. We also demand that for every liter of milk purchased this year we receive an additional four denars subsidy, because the price of milk has fallen to a level that livestock farmers cannot withstand," said livestock farmer Borche Buchinski.
Farmers reacted to a statement by Minister of Agriculture Borche Serafimovski, who, answering a parliamentary question, said that around 90 percent of the funds planned for financial support in agriculture have been realised this year.
"Milk unpaid for a year and a half, peppers unpaid though delivered, beekeeping unpaid, apple producers unpaid. Is that only 10 percent unpaid, as the minister says that 90 percent of the subsidies have been paid?" asked Mile Kjebakoski of the Farmers Jugozapad association.
Producers also point to higher production costs as an additional blow. "The damage from the rise in fuel is enormous. Autumn sowing is on the threshold, and no one is thinking of starting, let alone seed material and fertilizers," said Toni Petkovski from Pelagonsko Pole.
Because of their dissatisfaction, farmers and livestock breeders from Pelagonia have announced a protest on 30 September near Topolchani, where they will block the Bitola–Prilep road for an hour and a half. Their main demands are payment of outstanding subsidies and stronger support for agricultural and livestock production.
Photo: press material from the event
