Farmers in Pelagonia block the Prilep-Bitola road, demand overdue subsidies

Farmers from Pelagonia protested today near Topolçan, blocking the Prilep-Bitola road to express their dissatisfaction with conditions in agriculture. Farmers from other regions also joined the protest.

The farmers cited unpaid subsidies, delays in payments for livestock, low milk prices, difficulties with the Subsidy Program and rising production costs as their main concerns.

They said rising prices for diesel and raw materials have made the situation so difficult that their farming operations are barely surviving. They are unsure whether they will plant wheat and do not know to whom they would sell it or at what price, as the state has not set a guaranteed purchase price.

Vegetable growers called for peppers to have a guaranteed purchase price, as tobacco does, while grape growers requested additional support. Protesters also called for the promotion of IPARD and the National Program./Telegrafi/