Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS)

To support the preparation of analyzes for setting, implementing, controlling and monitoring the effects of agricultural policy and rural development policy necessary is the establishment of an Agricultural Information System (AIS) as one of the most important short-term priorities of the process of creating apposite conditions for sustainable agriculture and rural development as a condition for EU integration.

The foreseen activities include the establishment, operationalization and connection of the following administrative, control and informational elements of an integrated system: Single Register of Farm Holdings, Land Parcels Identification System (LPIS), Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) and the improvement of agricultural statistic. Parts of them are integral elements or are in function of the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) for implementation and monitoring the effects of measures to support the development through the Programs of direct payments and rural development.

Complete functioning of the systems will enable the setting of effective policies based on needs in the sector, their successful implementation with a maximum reduction of irregularities and misuses, improved control and evaluation of the effects of agricultural policy. Integrating the various databases and registries should facilitate the procedures for submission of requests of the farmers on the measures of support and will provide useful data for further creation of apposite conditions for sustainability, development and competitiveness in the food production and rural development, which makes this sector attractive.

Under the Law of Agriculture and Rural Development, MAFWE is a responsible institution for establishing an integrated information system for data which should provide gathering and processing data for the agricultural sector, coordination and sustainability in the exchange of data with other relevant institutions, as well as dissemination of data to end users.

The Ministry at the beginning of 2007 intensively is implementing a part of the activities related with the establishment of the registries/databases that are part of the AIS. The intensification of these activities include purchasing of necessary hardware, software and communication solutions, institutional strengthening in the area of human capacity, and setting the appropriate procedures on an inner institutional cooperation in exchange of data and their movement  to the end users.

Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS)

The concept 

The broader targets of the Agricultural Market Information System is continuously monitor the markets of agricultural and food products through the records of the prices traded for certain products and cultures, quantities on the strategic products, and providing a transparent overview of movement in the markets of agricultural products and food.

With this prompt and relevant market data from the representative markets enables strengthening of the position of the national agro-food sector of the domestic and international markets, and provides support of the analyzes with relevant and accurate data which are required for decision making in the formulation of competitive agricultural policy.

The development of AMIS is prescribed as an obligation in the part of EU regulations which cover the part of the Common Agricultural Policy in terms of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) as bases for regulation of markets of agricultural and food products. In our conditions this is regulated by the Law on Agriculture and Rural Development, the Law on Quality of Agricultural Products and the Rulebook for the determination of representative markets for agricultural products and the type, scope, terms and the entities that submit data.

EU member states are obliged to deliver the market data to the European Commission in the form of regular reports that are required for the formulation of the Common Agricultural Policy and monitoring the market situation, especially in terms of initiating the instruments for intervention and regulation of markets. However despite this commitment, AMIS is of particular importance to the agricultural producers, their organizations, manufacturers, suppliers of raw materials, equipment and machinery, business subjects to increase their competitiveness in the markets of food and reduce uncertainty and prediction of the risk in making the right decisions regarding the marketing and production planning. In this context the National Agricultural Market Information System will be set for the benefit of all business subjects through the regular collection and processing of data and unlimited access to the market data by users.

Current status of the establishment of AMIS in the Republic of Macedonia

From the beginning of 2008 by MAFWE are taken a series of activities aimed for creating the conditions for setting AMIS through the establishment of the Department for monitoring the markets of agricultural and food products in the MAFWE, selection of the product groups, representative markets, and reporters who are obligated for collecting and delivering market data. From September 2008 MAFWE started a pilot collection of the prices from the defined markets through which is running the largest range of trade with the products and that wider impact on forming the prices (including: retail markets and wholesale for fruit and vegetable, manufacturers and purchasers of fruits and vegetables, mills and traders of basic raw materials). As the starting product groups for which prices are collected were chosen fruits and vegetables, live animals and meat, grains and basic raw materials in the agricultural production. The data is collected by several employees of ten regional offices of MAFWE and directly from legal persons involved in the the system. From the beginning of September is being started a pilot collection of the data from a larger number of selected markets for certain initial product groups (30 vegetable products, 29 fruit products, 6 kinds of cattle, 4 cereal products, and milk and dairy products). Collection of the data from the mentioned markets are taking place continuously with the intention of gradually expanding of the scope and range by products and markets, and improve the system for promptly and regularly delivery of market information. Continuously the system is expanding with market information on markets for animal feed, raw materials, grape markets and wine.

The legal basis of AMIS regulated in the Rulebook for AMIS which determines the products, representative markets, dynamics of submission data and the methodology of calculation of the prices is prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Water Economy and published in the Official Newspaper of the Republic Macedonia 59/2011.

Parallely the Department of AMIS completed the necessary documents to support the operation of the system such as: manuals for internal procedures of work (collecting, archiving and processing of market data) and manuals for methodology for AMIS per products groups.

Starting from 01 January 2012 the market information will continuously be available on the Web Page at the following address of AMIS, www.zpis.gov.mk.

As one of the activities planned for modernization and development of the system was the preparation and installation of software for direct input of market data by reporters from the selected representative markets and, at the same time access to the users of the same markets information from the system of AMIS delivered by the providers of the representative markets. According to the concept and The Action Plan, the software is prepared and currently is in test stage, and at the same time are being trained representatives from the selected reporters, responsible for software data entry.

After completion of this stage and cheching of functionality of the software, the security and data protection in the system of AMIS are included . After completed tests for safety and functionality of the software, it is expected its promotion and to be functional by January 2012.

Apart from the funds provided from the budget of the Republic of Macedonia and the ASAP project financed by the World Bank, part of the activities are also supported through short-term project funded and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture USA and, from the project to support the implementation of measures relating to the Common Agricultural Policy particularly in the part of the Common Market Organisation funded by the European Commission.

It is being expected that the market information which is permanently available through the (AMIS) -  Agricultural Market Information System will completely satisfy expectations and needs of farmers, their organizations, the agro-business and administration for getting accurate and regular market information.

The system is designed and prepared with database of market information that respond to the needs for regulation of the markets of agricultural and food products according to CMO at the level of compliance with the provisions of EU regulations.

The Agricultural Market Information System is fully compatible for the implementation of measures to regulate the markets and trade policy of the Common Agricultural Policy. According to CAP requires on a regular basis submission of market information to the EC - Directorate for Agriculture (GD - Agro) for a full membership of Macedonia in the EU.