Macedonia's farmers union has warned that threats by an Austrian power company operator to cut off supply to customers behind on bill payments could endanger tens of thousands of rural households.Austrian energy company EVN AG (EVNV.VI) bought a 90% stake of the Macedonian state electricity company last year for $290 million, and began cutting off power to businesses which had failed to pay their bills.
The farmers say they are not asking EVN to write off debts from manufacturing industries which buy farmers' goods, but to postpone cuts until October.
Cuts have hit government departments, courts, municipal offices and street lights in parts of the capital Skopje and other Macedonian towns. Also hit are factories processing farm products in the towns of Bitola and Negotino.
