Skopje, 29 December 2021 (MIA) – Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Trajan Dimkovski, Director of the Agency for Financial Support in Agriculture and Rural Development, Nikica Bachovski, and Food and Veterinary Agency Director Nikolche Babovski held on Wednesday a working meeting with reporters, presenting results achieved in 2021. “2021 will be remembered as a year of record high payment of funds in the agriculture sector. A total of EUR 203.5 million have been directly invested in the agriculture sector on different basis. In times of a global economic and health crisis, the agriculture sector received strong support from the state. None of the processes was stalled, all programs and measures were successfully and fully implemented,” said Dimkovski. In his address, he presented a detailed analysis of investments in agriculture: EUR 146 million have been paid for two programs developed by the Ministry, of which about EUR 121 million for subsidies and EUR 25 million for investments in rural development; EUR 18 million for capital water management investments, funds to solve water supply and stable irrigation in the long-term; EUR 10 million for the second phase of a project on irrigation of Vardar’s southern valley. As regards the IPARD 2 program in 2021, he pointed out that about EUR 16 million have been paid, of which EUR 12 million are participation of European funds and EUR 4 million are national co-financing. The Deputy Minister underlined that there was no real price for the labor of farmers, they don’t have fixed working hours, no holiday season, no breaks in the production process as other sectors have. However, whenever there has been a need, the state had intervened, within the legal framework and within the budget. Director of the Agency for Financial Support in Agriculture and Rural Development, Nikica Bachovski, said in 2021 the Agency made record payments for all three programs, with over 99 percent realization of funds, adding that many agreements have been concluded through the National and IPARD 2 programs. Food and Veterinary Agency Director Nikolche Babovski said the Agency successfully wrapped up 2021 achieving key priorities as defined by the government in providing highest food quality standards and in terms of the institution’s planned activities. He added that an agreement has been signed in the area of veterinary medicine, food safety and phytosanitary policy as part of the ‘Open Balkan’ initiative. Participants in the working meeting with the reporters extended wishes for a happy, peaceful and prosperous New Year.