Farmers confused by Gerhard's statements

Farmers are shocked by the statements of the Minister of Agriculture Kaspars Gerhards in an interview on “Rīta panorāma” on March 18. “Responding to the questions of the hosts of the program, Gerhards said that in essence the sector does not have problems with the availability of mineral fertilizers, lack of fuel or lack of labor. If there are problems, then there are already real solutions to them. Such a view of the current situation in the sector indicates either an unwillingness or inability to solve real problems. Farmers are completely ready to give up raw materials produced by the aggressors – Belarus and Russia – without saying a word, therefore it is necessary to find new suppliers as soon as possible and find ways to increase investments in technologies that help use fertilizers as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, we cannot squeeze more than empty promises and listening from the ministry at the moment. I must say that the last time I received so many angry calls from farmers as I did this morning was last spring, when farmers were publicly insulted using state budget money.” Juris Lazdiņš, chairman of the board of the association "Farmers' Council", points out. He has also called on some of the farmers to express their reaction publicly:

Olegs Hinzenbergs, Z/S ''Lazdiņi'': "We mainly grow potatoes on our farm. We grow in compliance with all environmental requirements, we carry out regular fertilization planning, and field observations. I absolutely do not understand what the minister means when he says that we will simply reduce fertilizer use and be more environmentally friendly. Agricultural science is fundamental – to grow a ton of potatoes, you need about 4 kg of pure nitrogen, 0.6 kg of phosphorus, and 6.5 kg of potassium. Whether it is stretched or shrunk, that is exactly how many nutrients must be provided. You cannot simply reduce the amount of fertilizer. Theoretically, maybe you can, but then the minister will no longer be able to brag about how much we grow and how well-off we are. Reducing fertilizer means reducing yield and quality. If we want to start importing food from abroad in the next few years, then perhaps such a strategy is also acceptable, but from the farmer's point of view, looking at such comments makes me sad."

A Vidzeme farmer is also confused Jānis Freimanis Z/S “Little Birds”: "To be honest, I am very surprised by the minister's statement that solutions to the shortage of mineral fertilizers have been found. Yes, the nitrogen needed for this season has been provided to a large number of farms. But there are also some farmers who still lack it, and where to buy it is not clear. However, this is the least of the problems. In just 4 months, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should arrive on farms, which will be used together with the autumn sowing. Currently, cooperatives are working hard to reorient the supply chains of mineral fertilizers, but to say that the situation has been completely resolved is not true. It must also be said that I absolutely do not see any assistance from the ministry in reorienting the supply chains. Therefore, if the minister has really developed a solution, we want to hear it."

Martins Kaugars, SIA “Rudzāts Agro”: “One way to reduce the use of mineral fertilizers is to plan in the long term and invest in precision technologies. This does not mean that fertilizer will not be needed at all – it should be used precisely, more in accordance with the needs of plants, including working organically. Scanners, satellite images, software will accurately determine the dose needed in each field, eliminating over-fertilization of fields. However, what the minister said is misleading – Yes, precision technologies are starting to be used and implemented in Latvia, but this is not the case for half or even a third of farms. The farm I manage is also developing and plans to supplement its equipment fleet with advanced precision technologies. That is why we applied for support, but seeing how many people want it – only one in three farmers will receive support. Therefore, saying that the ministry is doing everything possible to move towards smart and precise agriculture is empty talk. I believe that support funding for increasing cultivation capacity should be redirected from other programs that are currently less relevant.”