Macedonia will use European experiences in improving competitiveness of the agriculture-food sector, presented at a seminar of the European Association of Agricultural Economists, held October 25-27 in Skopje.

The seminar, also organized by the Skopje-based Faculty of Agriculture Science and Food, Sweden's Uppsala University, and the Macedonian Association of Agriculture Economists, will present about 30 papers by representatives of ten EU member-states and aspirant countries.

"As in other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the developments of Macedonia’s agriculture policy, state support to agriculture, and the agriculture-food sector in general have gone through several stages. The main difference in the Macedonian case is that changes started with a delay, lasted longer, and the ownership transformation used an approach that resulted in long-term negative consequences", said Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy Ljupco Dimovski in the opening address.

According to him, Macedonia's agriculture sector has gradually increased its competitiveness in recent years.

"We have developed close relations with Macedonian agriculture economists, but also beyond the country's borders, since their support and assistance is of enormous significance. We jointly take part in all projects of crucial significance to Macedonian agriculture, and we worked together on the development of the 2013-2017 National Programme for Development of Agriculture and Rural Development", stressed Minister Dimovski.

Faculty of Agriculture Science and Food Dean Dragi Dimitrievski said the seminar was a chance for exchange of knowledge and experiences with member-states, which have already passed the road of agriculture transition.

Slovenian expert Emil Erjavec said agriculture economics is very important for the sector's development, adding that Macedonia's national programme for agriculture development represented a true step in the right direction.

"It gradually turns the country towards the contemporary agriculture concept of the EU, which gives more attention to the policy of rural development and less to tying farmers in the cultivation of government-subsidized products. The new concept gives farmers the chance to decide on their own what to produce, while the state only provides the framework", stressed Erjavec.