Milk producers: 7.7 million euros is support for a maximum of two months

On Tuesday, November 18, the European Commission approved a decision to grant 28 million euros in aid to dairy producers in the Baltic States to cover losses caused by the Russian Federation's food embargo. Latvian producers will receive 7.7 million euros in aid and emphasize that this is adequate compensation for two months. Therefore, in order to explain that the impact of the embargo is much more timely and severe than the compensation currently granted by the European Commission suggests, preparations are underway with the other affected countries for a rally in Brussels, scheduled for early December. 

Juris Lazdins, Chairman of the Association "Farmers' Council": "Over the course of more than three months, the food embargo imposed by the Russian Federation has caused losses in the dairy farming sector in Latvia in the amount of several tens of millions of euros. If the amount of compensation announced yesterday is intended for one to two months, then 7.7 million euros is adequate compensation. On the other hand, if the opposite is true and 7.7 million is expected to compensate for all losses, then we must be saddened - the situation in the dairy sector will not improve significantly, because this amount will only cover less than two months of losses. The European Commission must explain for what period this compensation will be intended, while Latvia must repeatedly submit the total amount of losses, because the embargo is still ongoing, but the situation has not improved. Although the first signal of help from the European Commission has been received, farmers from the Baltic States and Finland will continue to inform senior officials in Brussels about the critical situation and will travel to Brussels for planned activities."

The owner of the farm "Robežnieki" Ieva Alpa – Eizenberga: "On September 18, when the then European Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Dačan Čiološ, arrived in Latvia, farmers clearly indicated to him the amount of their monthly losses. The Commissioner was aware of the seriousness of the situation and promised appropriate compensation. If 7.7 million euros have been allocated for one to two months of losses, then the amount of compensation is sufficient, but if it is for the entire period since the embargo was introduced in August and is also planned for the coming months, because there is nothing to indicate that the situation could improve, then I believe that this is a case of Europe pushing farmers under the hammer. Although the position of Commissioner for Agriculture has been transferred to another person during this time, promises must be kept."We relied on the Commissioner's promise, because otherwise "In that case, farmers from the Baltic States would have been in Brussels with a protest action as early as September."