Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said today, in response to a journalist’s question about whether the Government is planning assistance for this sector, that the executive is already working on changes to the regulation related to the import of powdered milk and palm oil. He said that, at the same time, measures are also being drafted to reduce stockpiles in dairy factories, as well as to support domestic milk producers.
According to Mickoski, the difficulties currently facing the dairy industry are linked to earlier regulatory changes which, according to him, eased import conditions.
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“But first we need to find the culprit, that is, diagnose the problem. And the problem was created several years ago by the previous government, through changes to the regulation that lowered the criteria for importing powdered milk and palm oil. That is the essence of it. This is where what is happening today comes from,” said the prime minister.
He stressed that dairy factories currently hold large reserves, which, according to him, directly affects both the quantity of raw milk purchased from farmers and the purchase prices.
“Dairies have warehouses filled with products made from processed milk. This is reflected in the volume of milk purchases from farmers and, of course, affects the price, which is declining,” Mickoski emphasized.
Mickoski added that this situation is not unique to the country, but is also being seen in countries across the region. He announced that, as part of the measures being prepared, the Government is working to introduce stricter criteria for powdered milk imports and for the economic operators that bring it in, with the protection of domestic producers as the top priority.
“The new regulation introduces stricter criteria regarding powdered milk and the economic operators that import it. In the coming period, our main interest is domestic farmers, that is, milk producers from our country,” the prime minister stressed.
He also announced that activities are underway to encourage agreements between milk producers and processors, as well as to secure funds from socially responsible companies, with the aim of purchasing surplus products currently stored in dairy warehouses.
At the same time, Mickoski recalled that after the completion of the Budget rebalancing, the payment of subsidies for 2025 will be carried out. He stressed that the Government is working to overcome the conditions inherited from the previous period.
“Of course, after the completion of the Budget rebalancing, the subsidies for 2025 will also be paid. Just as a reminder, in 2024, the subsidies for 2023 had not been paid when we took office. Now we are talking about subsidies that will be paid for 2025, which means the process is ongoing,” Mickoski emphasized.
