SDSM: New criteria for 2026 leave around 10,000 farmers without subsidies

Around 10,000 farmers who until now have received financial support will be left without subsidies for 2026, as a result of the new and stricter criteria of the Government of North Macedonia. That is the accusation raised by the Macedonian opposition party SDSM, as the Makfax agency reports.

Nataša Popović, a member of SDSM’s Executive Board, declared at a press conference on Tuesday (30 September) that the Government has cut support for farmers and introduced stricter criteria for obtaining subsidies. “The application deadline for the 2026 subsidies will close with around 10,000 fewer farmers compared with previous years,” Popović said, adding that these are not farmers who misused the support, but producers who simply no longer meet the new conditions.

According to her statement, the minimum area for viticulture and fruit-growing has been raised from 0.2 to 0.5 hectares, while for field crops from 0.5 to 0.7 hectares. Popović also accused the Minister of Agriculture, Borče Serafimovski, who had initially announced an easing of the conditions under which the level of subsidies depends on the minimum percentage of production sold or delivered, but, as she said, the easing proposals were later withdrawn.

SDSM announced that it supports the farmers’ initiative and their demands, and that the party has submitted a law on financial support with intervention measures for winegrowers, producers of wheat, red pepper and rice, as well as for livestock farmers. “Agriculture is production, existence and security for thousands of families, and farmers deserve support,” Popović said, calling for SDSM’s draft law to be supported.

The opposition’s accusations come on the day farmers protested in Topolčani against the low purchase prices of agricultural products, a protest that has also been covered earlier on 24-ore.com.