"Farmers' Parliament": The main challenges for farmers at the moment are drought and pests

The main challenges for farmers at the moment are heat, drought and pests. Due to the effects of drought and heat, crops in certain regions of Latvia have suffered, strawberries have started to produce too early, and various pests and diseases are increasingly damaging crops and orchards growing in the fields.

Maira Dzelzkalēja-Burmistre, a member of the board of the “Farmers' Council”, notes that climate change significantly affects the daily habits of farmers during the season. We must increasingly learn to adapt to weather conditions and various risks they pose. This means that it is necessary to review and modernize the existing infrastructure, installing new or improving existing field irrigation systems.

She mentions that due to the heat and drought, farmers are constantly battling various diseases and pests that threaten the harvest.

At the same time, Dzelzkalēja-Burmistre emphasizes that it is not recommended to use plant protection products if the air temperature is higher than plus 25 degrees. Therefore, many farms adjust their daily work regime, carrying out field work early in the morning or late in the evening. Agricultural machinery, as seasonal work begins, also increasingly moves on roads at night. Taking into account that intensive field work can cause inconvenience to surrounding residents, the “Farmers' Council” calls on rural residents to be understanding, because currently, intensive crop care work is being carried out on all Latvian farms in order to adapt to weather conditions.

The Association “Farmers' Council” is a farmers' organization founded in 1999. The association's members are 800 small and large farms from all over Latvia. Together, the members manage more than 500,000 hectares of agricultural land and provide work for more than 4,000 employees on the farms.