| Millers Speak of Flour and Wheat Import Issues |
| Tuesday, 26 February 2013 10:52 |
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At a press conference held in the Economic Chamber of Macedonia, millers concluded that the ongoing imbalance on the wheat and flour market poses a serious threat to their existence.
Millers demand that the measure for conditioned purchase of wheat be revoked during harvest time since the stock price of wheat is at its lowest then. The current state of affairs is made even more complicated with the border crossing control system that failed to prevent the import of flour of dubious quality. “There are 30,000 tonnes of wheat in warehouses at the moment, purchased at an average price of 15.06 denars, a price that is practically non-profitable to flour producers,” said Vasko Ristovski of the Economic Chamber. A total of 120,000 tonnes of wheat were imported in Macedonia in 2012, which is by 40 % more than the flower imported in 2011; moreover, 45,000 tonnes of flour have been imported in 2012, which is also a significant increase. Ristovski informs that millers had two meetings with representatives of competent institutions regarding the import problem, but no measures have been taken to address the millers’ demands. Most of the 41 registered millers decided to close their businesses, and 81 out of 131 traders are flour importers. Sources: Dnevnik; Utrinski Vesnik; Vest; Kanal 5; Sitel; Alfa; MTV1; MIA |
