Should the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development decide about farmers from now on?

On February 9, the National Economy, Agrarian, Environmental and Regional Policy Commission decided to entrust the Ministry of Rural Development and the Environment with the creation of a working group to consider the initiative to ban the use of pesticides near inhabited rural homes, while the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministries of Economics and Finance were designated as co-responsible ministries.

Maira Dzelzkalēja-Burmistre, Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of the Association "Farmers' Council": "Farmers are shocked by the decision of the Saeima members. From now on, the Ministry of Agriculture will no longer be responsible for farmers and the rural environment, but rather the Ministry of Regional Development, Regional Planning and Regional Development, which, according to the Saeima members, should also add agriculture to its 3 areas of responsibility."

Today, in the Saeima commission, discussing the ban on using plant protection products within a 1 km radius of inhabited houses, both the deputies and the initiator himself realized that such a ban is pointless and impossible.

Instead of leaving the Ministry of Agriculture to find a compromise, seven Saeima members proposed forming a working group under the leadership of the Ministry of Rural Development and the Environment, involving four other ministries and dozens of non-governmental organizations. Instead of having experts from the Ministry of Agriculture with the appropriate knowledge find a compromise between agriculture and the environment, state budget money will be wasted on the creation and maintenance of another working group.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Rural Affairs should undoubtedly be an attached ministry, but given that the regulatory acts that regulate agricultural practices are developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, it is primarily the competence of the Ministry of Agriculture. Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture is not only responsible for farmers, but also for the rural environment, the development of which is invested in millions of euros. PPPs are means used in agriculture, so they directly affect the competence of the Ministry of Agriculture and subordinate institutions that develop regulatory acts and monitor the use of PPPs. The European Commission and EFSA set the criteria for PPP registration. The basic principle is that PPPs are registered if there are no risks of environmental damage. It is important that they are used correctly, which farmers are aware of, because they live in this environment and are monitored by controlling institutions.”