North Macedonia proposes new law to regulate agricultural markets

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy Borche Serafimovski has introduced a new draft law aimed at regulating agricultural product markets in North Macedonia. During a public debate, Serafimovski stated that the law seeks to establish a system where responsibility is more clearly distributed among producers, buyers, and processors.

The proposed legislation aims to reduce uncertainty for farmers by ensuring that written contracts are signed before delivery. These contracts will pre-determine quantity, quality, price or pricing methods, payment deadlines, and associated costs. The goal is to prevent farmers from bearing all production risks and discovering sales conditions only after products have been harvested.

Rather than administrative price-setting, the law focuses on precise rules, increased transparency, and institutional mechanisms to address market disruptions. The framework integrates organized purchasing, market information, producer organization, and market standards to create a more stable agricultural environment.