Skopje, 28 August 2022 (MIA) — Thanks to continuous support from EU funds that our farmers have received, Macedonian wines and food have become recognizable and valued not only in the Balkans but also around the world, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European Affairs Bojan Marichikj said in a Facebook post. The Deputy PM said the European Commission had adopted the IPARD 3 program for supporting North Macedonia’s agriculture with 97 million euros of European funds. They will be used for investments in new machinery, building livestock and poultry farms, wineries, dairies, slaughterhouses as well as rural tourism investments, support for small businesses in rural areas, and improvement of rural infrastructure. Ahead of the Open Balkans Wine, Food and Tourism Fair in Belgrade on Sept. 1–4, Marichikj said that wine was one of the country’s most important strategic products and the second most exported to the European Union. After the country joins the EU, the Europe minister said, Macedonian farmers would gain access to the single European market, opening up new opportunities for Macedonian producers. He added that Macedonian farmers would also have access to a significant part of EU funds available to finance rural development, modernize agriculture and produce higher quality and more competitive products. mr/