The average price for a liter of exported Macedonian bottled wine has increased from 1,14 euros in 2020 to 2,11 euros in 2023. At the same time, in the last few years, the structure of exports has also changed, whereby now close to 40 percent of the Macedonian wine exported abroad is bottled, which generates even more than 70 percent of the value of the entire exported wine. These data were shared by the Association "Wines of Macedonia", which includes the largest producers and exporters of Macedonian wine.

From there, they say that this situation has been reached with their great efforts, but they warn that more steps should be taken in order to have a higher quality wine and a more expensive export product. According to the Association, there are confirmed ways and steps that should be taken: Introduction and observance of world standards and practices in viticulture that should ensure a higher quality of grapes and wine; Investments in the development of modern viticulture, through the purchase of appropriate machinery, consolidation of land, subsidies for production with geographical indications, etc., which will enable the reduction of the costs of grape production; Providing support to wineries that invest in the production of high-quality wines with controlled and guaranteed origin, in advanced technologies and sustainable development, as well as support for increasing exports and positioning Macedonian wine on the world wine map, which brings long-term benefits to everyone, including for the growers and the state.

"The goal of "Wines of Macedonia" and its members is, in the coming period, through the implementation of the mentioned steps and with appropriate support from the state, to continue to increase the price of Macedonian wine that is placed on foreign markets, and at the same time, the overall exported wine to be bottled, in order to reduce the possibility of our bulk wine being packaged abroad and then appearing as a branded product in competition with our wines on foreign markets", the Association announced.

The association also says that the only way to prevent further financial exhaustion and the collapse of an additional number of Macedonian wineries is to determine the price of grapes between grape and wine producers, according to market mechanisms of supply and demand and indicators that are applied everywhere in the world, such as which are: yield, quality and geographical indication.

"In such a way, domestic wineries will be able to remain competitive and will be able to continue to invest in the development and production of quality wine that will be able to achieve a higher price on the market, thus they will be able to pay higher prices for the grapes they produce." they buy from the growers", concludes the Association.