Farmers producing rice in the Kocani and Stip regions on Sunday blocked the Kocani-Stip main road, protesting against the low purchase price of rice hulls and high production costs.

At checkpoints near the villages of Oblesevo, Ciflik, Cesinovo and Krupiste, they came out with tractors and agricultural machinery, announced that the blockade will last in the coming days, until they have a meeting with the competent government representatives to present their problems.

The rice producers emphasized that the minimum purchase price must not be below MKD 40 per kilogram of barley, although it will only be enough to cover the basic production costs.

Farmers from Krupiste, Karbinci, Dolni Balvan and the surrounding villages in the Stip region also came out to protest, and they demanded higher quality seed material in order to achieve higher yields.