“First the Purchase, Then the Song”: Tikvesh Growers Ask Whether Their Grapes Will Be Bought and at What Price
While the Tikvesh Grape Harvest festival took place in Kavadarci, some growers had no contracts for Vranec and Kratoshija, and the state promised help to buy the whole crop.
The Tikvesh Grape Harvest festival in Kavadarci ran from September 4 to 6, but some of the region’s growers carried the slogan “First the purchase, then the song.” According to Racin.mk, some fear their crop will stay in the vineyards or be bought at prices that do not cover costs. In August, early varieties sold for 29.5 denars per kilogram (Chardonnay and Riesling) and 35.5 denars (Temjanika), according to a Nezavisen Vesnik report.
A bigger problem than price, per the same report, is that some producers had no sales contracts for Vranec and Kratoshija. On September 2 the mayor of Kavadarci and the agriculture minister said that, with state help, wineries would buy the entire wine grape crop. The amount of the aid has not been published.
SDSM leader Venko Filipche announced on August 22 a bill to raise purchase prices by 5 denars per kilogram and abolish the 8 percent discount wineries give for paying the full quantity immediately; according to him, pickers are asking for 2,000 denars a day. The text contains no response from the authorities. We did not find final purchase prices for Vranec.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 11, 2026
