A field day was held in Īlė “Buffer zones – where, why and how to manage them?”

On June 15, a field day “Buffer zones – where, why and how to manage them?” was held in Īle with great interest from visitors. The attendees were addressed by Juris Lazdiņš, Chairman of the Board of the Agricultural Society, and Didzis Šmits, Minister of Agriculture. Ilvars Strazdiņš, Chairman of the Board of SIA “Latvi Dan Agro”, introduced the farm and the environmental protection measures implemented there.

Linda Fībiga, representative of LVĢMC and the LIFE GoodWater IP project, spoke about the project's tasks and first conclusions. Maira Dzelzkalēja-Burmistre introduced various measures to reduce plant nutrient leakage in the field, as well as informed about the first findings gained from buffer zone demonstrations and water quality assessments in the Auce River basin. Gunta Bāra, senior expert of the Rural Development Funds Support Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture's Rural Development Support Department, explained to farmers what role buffer zones play in achieving green goals. In turn, LDF Council member and botanist Lelde Eņģele spoke about the importance of buffer zones in preserving natural values.

After the seminar part, a demonstration of buffer zone management took place in Īlē by the Sesava River, using various mowing and mulching technologies.

Thank you to the machinery dealers Baltic Agro Machinery Latvia, AR AGRO SIA, Valtek SIA, SIA “Lolus” and DOJUS Latvia Summer Machinery for the exciting demonstrations and the opportunity for farmers to learn about various pieces of machinery in conversations with specialists!