Latvian farmers will participate in a mass demonstration in Brussels

On Monday, September 7, a mass demonstration organized by the European farmers' organization COPA-COGECA will take place in Brussels, where more than 4,000 farmers with around 1,000 tractors will gather in front of the building where the extraordinary EU Farmers' Council will be held. More than 100 farmers from the Baltic States will also join their European colleagues.
The Latvian Agricultural Cooperative Association will also be represented at the demonstration by LLKA board member and LPKS “Pienupīte” board chairwoman Mirdza Feldmane:
"It is very important for us to be present at this event and to demonstrate with our presence how essential and vital for survival the solidarity of the European Union is, compensating for the dramatic consequences of the Russian embargo. We are pleased that the EC Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, has also repeatedly pointed out that it is cooperatives and producer groups that need to be supported, thus reducing the pressure on farmers from retailers in order to achieve fairness in food chains."
Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of the Latvian Association of Steelworkers, Vice President of COPA Maira Dzelzkalēja:
"European farmers have not used the final solution in the fight for their rights for a very long time – a demonstration. Now this moment has come, because there is a very dramatic situation in several key agricultural sectors – dairy farming, the pork sector and the vegetable sector. Currently, farmers are paying for Europe's position in Ukraine with their business, and this is unforgivable. The main thing we will demand from decision-makers is solidarity with the agricultural sector, mitigating the consequences of the Russian embargo, and fair distribution of profits throughout the food chain. Currently, only 8 % of the price we pay for bread and 20 % of the price we pay for meat reaches farmers. Decision-makers, the European Commission, the European Parliament and Ministers must also agree on measures that would reduce price fluctuations in the long term, as well as measures to find new markets. Latvian farmers are waiting for quick direct support so that our producers can survive this crisis and in the future, farmers from other countries would not produce food for us."
Edgars Treibergs, Chairman of the Board of the Farmers' Organizations Cooperation Council (LOSP):
“Far-reaching and targeted support mechanisms launched by the European Commission are needed to save the dairy industry. Representatives of the dairy industry participating in the campaign from Latvia have agreed on a common demand – the fines collected for exceeding the milk quota should be directed to the dairy industry, so that dairy farmers, who have suffered the most due to the Russian embargo, can be compensated for the losses caused by the crisis and given the opportunity to restructure. Similarly, in order for the industry to cope with cash flow problems, the European Union (EU) intervention price should also be increased, because the intervention prices currently set do not correspond to actual production costs. We also insist on the demand that export subsidies be restored and solutions should be sought for a fair distribution of the final price among the participants in the milk supply chain.”
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Information prepared by:
Sabine Puķe,
Public Relations Consultant at the Latvian Academy of Sciences