TİKA Supports Strawberry Producers in North Macedonia

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided agricultural equipment and seedlings for the strawberry cultivators in North Macedonia.

Within the scope of the Rural Development Support Program Project for Strawberry Cultivation, TİKA provided 20 families with strawberry seedlings and the necessary agricultural equipment for strawberry cultivation.

100 thousand certified and highly efficient strawberry seedlings, the breeds of which are 'Albion' and 'Rubigen’, were delivered to the 20 families that were previously determined from the municipalities of Radoviš, Konče, Demir Kapija, Negotino, Gradsko, and Resen.

The equipment that is necessary for production, such as drip irrigation system, plastic mulch, and organic fertilizer were delivered to the beneficiary families.

21 Projects in the sector of agriculture and livestock breeding

The opening ceremony that took place in Timjanik Village in the city of Negotino, which is located in the central parts of the country, was attended by TİKA’s Coordinator in Skopje, Mehmet Bayrak, and the beneficiary families.

In his speech there, Bayrak noted that as TİKA, they have been carrying out projects and activities in North Macedonia since 2005.

Bayrak stated that with a people-oriented approach, they have carried out projects in every field that is about the people; such as education, health, agriculture, and infrastructure. He said: “We prioritize developing projects in the sector of agriculture and livestock breeding to increase the production of quality food, to decrease unemployment, to increase the economic income of family-owned businesses, and to enable rural development. With this mindset, we have carried out 21 Projects in the sector of agriculture and livestock breeding in the Republic of North Macedonia.”

Bayrak noted that they carried out projects on fields such as green housing, beekeeping, and rice production in 80 different municipalities in a way that is inclusive of different ethnic groups; and he reminded that they started the strawberry cultivation project with 20 families in 2021.

The goal of the project is to enable the families to stay in the regions they live in now and to contribute to rural development.