Higher production and purchase up to 30 000 tons of tobacco is expected this year. There is stable purchase, regular payment of subsidies, and MKD 1, 2 billion in subsidies were transferred to over 27 thousand farmers last week, Vecer reports.
Macedonia is the only country where the tobacco is intensively supported with subsidies of one euro per kilo and this cultivation uniquely is regulated with precise law on tobacco and tobacco products.
According to the analyses of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, there are no subsidies on tobacco in Turkey, the subsidies for production of oriental tobacco are last paid in 2009 in Bulgaria and Greece. According to experts the development of this process is going in the right direction. They say that unlike earlier when the state subsidize tobacco with only MKD 15 per kilogram sold tobacco, in recent years the government has become aware of the importance of this sector that provides livelihoods of many Macedonian families and subsidizes tobacco by MKD 60 per kilo.
It’s good and it increases the production of tobacco.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 2700 tons of tobacco was purchased last year and 42 000 contracts are signed with domestic tobacco growers with this yield. The Competent persons this year expect higher production of tobacco with the purchase of up to 30 000 tons of tobacco. There purchase is stable, regular payment of subsidies and the Ministry of Finance last week paid MKD 1, 2 billion subsidies for 2013 yield to over 27 thousand farmers. The government remains consistent in supporting agriculture as one of the leading sectors of the Macedonian economy by the regular payment of subsidies to farmers, say from the Ministry of Finance.
Dimovski: Electronic records in the production of tobacco for less fraud
27.5 million kilos of tobacco have been purchased so far, or over 80 per cent of the agreed 32 million kilos. The average price reached MKD 154.65 per kilo. According to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Ljupco Dimovski, 209 manufacturers has submitted requests for additional assessment of three tones of tobacco by Appeals Commission, but over 50 % of them received the same, or even worse rating quality.
According to him, this year’s purchase is significantly more intense, but the price is lower.
- We have never had such a dynamic purchase. Almost 85 percent of the contracted amount has been taken from the beginning of the process on 17 December, until today 24 February. Now the goal is to buy the remaining agreed amount as soon as possible, Dimovski said.
- We will be connected with the buyers by the electronic system and have full insight into particular contracts with tobacco farmers, according to Dimovski.