The Minister for Agriculture, Armands Krauze will attend a meeting of the Council of Ministers for Agricultural (Council) of the European Union (EU) in Brussels on Monday, September 23, to assess implementation of the second year of the Strategic plans for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP SP). Latvia will continue to insist on simplifying of the current model for calculating CAP SP results. In addition, Ministers for Agriculture of the EU Member States will discuss the situation in the agricultural products and commodities market.
In order to make the Common Agricultural Policy management system simpler for both farmers and administration, Latvia has prepared a proposal for discussions in the Council. It provides arguments for the need to simplify the CAP SP implementation model and to reduce the number of indicators to be reported. Latvia also calls for the flexibility promised to adjust the indicators without requiring legal justification.
Ministers of the EU Member States will also discuss the situation on the agricultural market, affected by Russia's aggressive invasion of Ukraine. For Latvian agriculture, 2024 has not brought recovery after the natural disasters of 2023, and a number of adverse meteorological conditions have also been experienced this year. Poorly overwintered rapeseed and their yields may drop by as much as 47 per cent compared to 2023. Fruit trees and berries suffered in the May frost, and the total harvest can only account for 49% of the 2023 harvest. Cereals and oilseeds, fruit trees and vegetable area have been severely affected by late July storms. Winter wheat yields are at 2023 levels, while wheat quality is lower and is mainly suitable for fodder. Latvia plans to encourage the European Commission to grant aid to the agricultural sector, as well as to invite Member States to jointly develop the next proposals for imposing increased customs tariffs on agricultural products and goods imported from Belarus and Russia.