Farmers' Council: Riga Central Market must be made an attractive place for farmers and buyers

On July 20, representatives of the Farmers' Assembly (ZSA) participated in a discussion organized by Riga City Council Deputy Mayor Edvards Smiltēns, in which the council representatives acknowledged that the management of the Riga Central Market is currently being changed, and that reforms are being considered in the market. During the conversation, the ZSA recommended several solutions to promote the popularization and sale of local agricultural products at the Central Market, as well as to make the market more interesting for sellers, buyers, and tourists.

Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of the Latvian Association of Steelworkers Maira Dzelzkalēja-Burmistre: “We appreciate the work done so far by AS “Rīgas Centrāltirgus” in market development and the support provided to Latvian farmers, however, we believe that the management of Riga Central Market still needs to do its homework to further improve trading conditions for local agricultural producers. We would like to see the Central Market as a dynamic and lively place where Latvian producers meet their buyers. It is very important to finally find a solution so that buyers are not misled by presenting imported products as Latvian. Some work has already been done on this issue and we very much hope for the swift work of the decision-making authorities to implement the new system in practice. We would like to see Riga Central Market as a modern place in the center of Riga, where young Riga families can buy seasonal and fresh products, have a delicious meal and relax. The market certainly has a place for home-grown and artisan products, which allow foreign guests who come to Riga for a few days to feel the charm of Latvia.

ZSA board member Mārtiņš Trons: “The market must be able to change with the times and from a simple trading place, it must become more of a place that is interesting for both tourists and local residents who want not only to shop in the mornings, but also to enjoy food and culture, as it is in other countries of the world. For the convenience of visitors, free parking spaces for at least 1 hour should be arranged around the market, thus attracting people who travel by car every day, and catering services should also be developed in the market area. The Central Market Administration should monitor the integrity of traders when issuing checks to buyers more closely, so that the shadow economy is reduced in the market area in the future. At the same time, the Riga City Council should work on creating a positive image of the Riga Central Market, because currently more negative information about this market is heard in the media.”

ZSA expert Edīte Strazdiņa: "The Night or Farmers' Market should definitely be organized, where the best sales areas should be allocated to local farmers. This could be achieved by creating a distribution of places, evaluating the origin and quality of the products sold, while the sale of defective or imported products should be separated from the rest of the sales area. In turn, in order to attract new local product traders and farmers, local producers need more favorable logistics and a process for occupying places in the market area, but for the convenience of buyers, shopping carts of various sizes should be installed, which would make it easier to deliver larger purchases to cars. Also, the Central Market management should look more for opportunities to reduce the shadow economy in the market area."

The discussion was attended by Riga Deputy Mayor Edvards Smiltēns, the management of the Central Market, and representatives of Latvian agricultural producers and producer organizations.