Challenges and fighting spirit on the wheat field

Olga Jordanovski. Photo: Malin von Strauss.
Olga Jordanovski. Photo: Malin von Strauss.
The effects of climate change, high production costs and old-fashioned technology are some of the challenges facing wheat farmers in North Macedonia.

The sun is burning on the wheat field, where Stevance and Olga Jordanovski work. But they also talk about when heavy rainfalls have destroyed the harvest.

The effects of climate change are clear and the need for climate adaptation and sustainable agriculture methods is great.

– We offer trainings in agriculture techniques and support related to advocacy work and negotiations. But there is need for more, says Biljana Petrovska, project manager at We Effect’s partner organisation National Federation of Farmers.

Stevance and Olga have been members of National Federation of Farmers for 15 years. They grow wheat and corn and, in addition to the effects of climate change, emphasize the high production prices and outdated technology as major challenges.

Their farming colleague Goce Naumceski agrees.

– New technology is expensive. We need to be smarter. We exchange experiences with each other, but would need more organised knowledge exchange, says Goce.

– Farming is hard work, but we still love it, says Stevance.