Ahead of the Open Balkans Wine, Food and Tourism Fair to be held in Belgrade on Sept. 1–4, North Macedonia is boosting national food production capacities, promoting traditional Macedonian food, and reducing dependence on imports, according to government sources, transmits MIA.
Through capital investments into dams and irrigation systems, together with implementing national food production plan measures, the state will make sure every inch of arable agricultural land is used to increase local food production in times of crisis, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said at the launch of the small-scale irrigation system Slavishko Pole in the Municipality of Rankovce on Sunday.
He also said the country’s first-ever national food production plan had been adopted to provide support to the agricultural sector in times of crisis. It will provide additional EUR 32,000,000 to increase local food production, Kovachevski said, stressing that in the medium term the plan should increase domestic wheat production by about 30,000 tons.
He said this should significantly reduce the need of imports and, ahead of the expected difficult winter, supporting agriculture and managing the energy crisis would remain the top priorities of the government.
According to the government, wheat, corn, and barley production has already increased, and the import of all crops has decreased.
“More than 20,000 hectares of agricultural land have been allocated through several public tenders to farmers, who showed great interest. We also increased subsidies for artificial fertilizers, lowering farmers’ costs,” government sources said.
Also, as part of the Open Balkans partnership, a crisis group has been formed to monitor the food supply in the three countries that are part of the initiative (North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania) and evaluate ways to help each other in case of food shortages. At the same time, the country is working on the regional promotion of Macedonian wines, food and tourism, beginning with the first Open Balkans Fair.
Participating in the Belgrade fair will be 42 wineries and three distilleries from the country, presenting more than 300 different Macedonian wines and brandies. More than ten food producers from North Macedonia will promote authentic Macedonian cuisine. Visitors will also have the chance to try Macedonian food prepared by top Macedonian chefs.
