ZSA Congress to discuss agricultural competitiveness

On Friday, March 11 at 10:30 AM, the annual Congress - Conference of the association "Farmers' Council" (ZSA) will take place in Bulduri with the support of "Swedbank Latvija". This year, the most important topic of discussion at the congress will be the competitiveness of Latvian farmers in the European Union and in the world in the context of global changes.

At the opening of the congress, the participants will be addressed by the Minister of Agriculture Jānis Dūklavs and the President of the European Farmers' Organization COPA, Martins Merilds (Martin Merrild). The report of the ZSA Board on the achievements in 2015 will follow, as well as the discussion and approval of this year's activity program.

ZSA Board Chairman Juris Lazdins: "As always, last year Latvian farmers were quite active and were able to accomplish great things not only on their farms, but also jointly defend their interests. We have successfully hosted guests from COPA, holding a Presidium meeting in Riga and visiting our best farms. Together with dairy farmers from other countries, we also participated in a large-scale protest in Brussels, and in the heat of spring sowing, we have successfully implemented uniform greening requirements. Unfortunately, we have not been spared last year either – difficulties were caused by repeated outbreaks of African swine fever and low milk purchase prices. However, looking more broadly, we must understand that this crisis is no longer quite a crisis, but an everyday occurrence that farmers around the world face, as significant changes are taking place in agricultural product markets. At the moment, no one can predict when the situation will change for the better. Therefore, farmers need to plan their expenses and income even more carefully, manage their finances more wisely and efficiently. We will also discuss this at the congress - how to not only survive, but also thrive in the new conditions."

In order to arrive at specific recommendations as a result of joint discussions on how to promote the competitiveness of Latvian farmers, well-known industry experts from Latvia and abroad are invited to participate in the second part of the congress – the conference. M. Merilds will outline the future directions of European agricultural policies for farmers, while Pārsla Rigonda Krieviņa, Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia, will address the attendees about the strategic development of Latvian agriculture. In turn, Maira Dzelzkalēja-Burmistre, Deputy Chairwoman of the Latvian Steel Association, and Romets Sormus, Head of the Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce (Roomet Rings).

The survival of many farms is currently possible thanks to the understanding of the banking sector. Mārtiņš Kazāks, Chief Economist of Swedbank Latvija, will talk about what is happening in the global economy, which markets are growing and which are falling, how long the euro will be cheap, and how it affects the Latvian economy, including agriculture.

Martin Merild, President of the European Farmers' Organization COPA, notes: "Despite the difficult market situation that many Latvian and EU farmers are currently facing, COPA remains fully confident in the good prospects for agriculture in the future and is working resolutely to bring this goal closer. We are confident that, in addition to our primary tasks – ensuring food security, increasing productivity and improving quality – we are able to work in a sustainable manner, overcoming the challenges posed by climate change. The Farmers' Congress-Conference 2016 will be an opportunity to seek answers to the above and other important questions for the sector together with Latvian farmers."

The ZSA congress will take place on March 11, in the Assembly Hall of Bulduri Horticulture Secondary School at Viestura Street 6, Jurmala.

Farmers' Assembly Congress-Conference 2016 is being held with the support of Swedbank Latvia