Bad news has arrived from the state for tobacco producers, who are being asked to return the subsidy money for 2024 production, paid in 2025, reports Gazeta Express from Zhurnal.mk.
In the requests sent by the Payment Agency to the addresses of tobacco producers who are being asked to return the subsidy money for the 2024 production, paid in 2025. To make the situation even more serious, this money must be paid into the Payment Agency's account within 15 days of receiving the decision, "Nezavisen" writes.
The Payment Agency's reasoning is that 91 tobacco producers must return subsidies worth over 20 million denars, as they have actually produced a certain amount of tobacco, while they have presented a higher amount in order to receive larger subsidies.
The decisions handed down have caused revolt and confusion among tobacco producers, who have been waiting for two months for subsidies for their latest production. Some tobacco producers, however, justify the Payment Agency by saying that the money they unjustly earned should be returned.
The National Agricultural Network, whose president is Gheorghe Karakashev, sent a statement to the public demanding answers from the Payment Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture as to why written requests for the return of funds were sent to tobacco producers.
"According to information from the field, members of the National Agricultural Network and other farmers are receiving written notifications from the Payment Agency requesting the return of money received for tobacco delivered from the 2024 production."
This creates an unpleasant situation and uncertainty for producers at a time when funds have already been invested in new production. The National Agricultural Network publicly calls on the competent institutions to provide an accurate and public response on the basis of which the return of these funds is requested. The RKB emphasizes that farmers deserve to know the truth about this decision, especially since it concerns a legal right to subsidy," the RKB reacted.
In comments on social media, farmers write: "The lack of money in the budget forced Cvetanço to put his hand in the pocket of tobacco producers as well," "Don't throw ash in our eyes with chili, the blockades are close," "This is just a way to avoid paying subsidies."
Other tobacco producers, however, support that if the actual quantities of tobacco delivered have not been reported, the money should be returned to the state treasury and subsidies for this year should be paid.
"They have received subsidies illegally for areas declared but not planted with tobacco and other crops, and now they will return them," say the tobacco producers.
After numerous reactions, the Payment Agency, which is responsible for receiving requests for payment of subsidies, processing them, conducting administrative and field controls, and paying the funds, also issued a statement. The Agency says that the claims of tobacco producers that they do not know why they are being asked to return the money are not correct, since each decision states exactly where and to what percentage what the farmer declared differs from the real situation on the ground.
"With the latest controls carried out for sub-measure 1.9, direct payments for oriental, aromatic and raw tobacco contracted and sold from the 2024 production, from the Program for Financial Support in Agriculture and Rural Development for 2025, differences have been found in 91 tobacco producers. According to the Law on Agriculture and Rural Development, decisions have been prepared for the return of funds in a total amount of 20,9 million denars," the Paying Agency's press release states.
They emphasize that in order to be certain of the decisions made, additional checks were carried out, where it was found that for some tobacco producers the difference between declared capacities and those ascertained in the field is greater than 30 percent.
The Payments Agency addresses the responsibility for this situation to the tobacco producers themselves, emphasizing that the farmers themselves do not actually complete the applications and thus call into question the state aid for subsidies.
"We hope that farmers' associations from all sectors also know, are informed and should inform their members in a timely manner that subsidies are not related to production, but to capacities declared during the current year 2025," the Agency emphasizes.
Otherwise, subsidies for tobacco producers, as the largest producers in the country, are usually paid in April, but this year there is still no payment for the last production. Tobacco producers ask every day when the money will be transferred to their accounts, but so far there are no concrete warnings. reports Zhurnal.mk.
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