Farmers want to work!

On April 19, the Operational Management Group (OVG) rejected a proposal to move food producers from priority vaccination group 8 to group 5. Farmers are confused about this decision, because with the resumption of the active season, the current precautionary measures do not guarantee safety, and they are also additional costs.

Juris Lazdiņš, Chairman of the Board of the Association “Farmers' Council”: “When COVID-19 began, two priority groups were identified: medicine and food availability, self-consumption. A year has passed, during which various experiments with restrictions and vaccinations have taken place. Currently, in contrast to neighboring countries, Latvian food producers are last on the list of priority groups. The question is, has the government changed priorities again, and food self-sufficiency as national security and stable exports is not important? Just like health and safety, food should also be a national priority when creating a vaccination list. Vaccines are necessary for us, farmers, so that we can work fully. Current regulations prevent farmers from being in self-isolation and working on their farm at the same time, although a farmer’s home is also a workplace.”

There are many specialists in the agricultural sector with specific knowledge, without whom it is impossible to work on farms or in food production plants, therefore we call for a more careful assessment of the persons to be vaccinated as a priority, taking into account their specific work duties and assessing the risk of infection. To vaccinate or not to vaccinate is a free choice of each person, but the opportunity to be vaccinated must be given to those who want it and who need it. We must not end up in a situation where there are many sick workers in the food production and agricultural sectors, as this can significantly affect the availability of local food.