At one moment the situation was almost threatening because the truck drivers ran out of patience with the talks between the farmers and the Latvian government. On the morning of July 5, Minister of Agriculture Atis Slakteris came first to talk with the farmers, but he could not reach an agreement.
"The farmers are ready to stand as a monumental wall until the government takes action," said Bauska district farmer Arvids Kranevskis.
"For now the truckers are sleeping calmlyÉ When they wake up, the situation will become serious," said Latvian Border Guard Chief Gundars Dabolins, according to reports by the news service LETA.
A more normal situation reigned at Meitene checkpoint with only 16 vehicles in line on the Lithuanian side. The Grenctale atmosphere was more aggressive and emotional, but without incidents except for few drunk farmers, who were sent home.
The farmers and representatives from the Rural Support Headquarters were convinced that Prime Minister Andris Berzins would meet with them, but he did not arrive. Slakteris and the Minister of Economy Aigars Kalvitis did meet with the farmers.
Berzins was informed regularly on events taking place at the border crossing points. At a press conference, Berzins said the law on organizing rallies, marches and pickets had been disregarded, and two local authorities had broken the law by issuing permits to organize protest actions for farmers. Both local authorities named the exact time for the demonstration to begin, but had not indicated the date for the end.
Education of society would be very important in future thinking, according to Berzins, because deviation from the law is not acceptable.
The protest demonstration at the Grenctale and Meitene border crossing points ended the afternoon of July 6. The farmers were shown the agreement protocol signed between the government representatives, Slakteris and Kalvitis, and the head of Rural Support Headquarters, Edgars Silakalns.
In conversation with farmers in Riga, the Latvian government intended this year to grant agriculture subsidies equal to three percent of the state budget, as requested by farmers for compensations.
After the talks, Slakteris told reporters that an additional 2.4 million lats ($4 million) would be granted for agriculture subsidies under amendments to the national budget for 2000.
Promises to the farmers included development of a compensation mechanism for fields in production and state intervention in the milk market. In neither of the cases are hopes placed on expanded export quotas from the European Union.
Slakteris also promised to stand up for farmers on the issue of refunds of excise tax paid by farmers on gas they had spent working their fields in the amount of 100 liters per hectare. At present the refunds apply to only 80 liters per hectare of sown fields.
"Without the farmers' demonstrations the present result could not be reached," said Bauska district farmer Kranevskis.
"In general we are satisfied with the result, because most of what we were demanding we have got. Both sides could agree about many questions and that is a lot. Difficulties will now begin only because if very cheerfully go through the agreement protocol there is written that the commission will consist of farmers.
But we farmers don't have the time to go almost every day to Riga. We are growers and we have to work. We would rather like to make a self- elected farmers commission supported by the government. That would be a good solution," said Kranevskis.
"We are planning to revise the question about excise tax. For now excise tax makes a high demand for the grain quality, and knowing the farmers' present situation we cannot reach that.
"It is an easy solution for the government to use money from the state budget, but we don't want that. Only three percent of the state budget really belongs to agriculture. We want normal conditions to produce our own stuff. We know that in Latvia there is a terrible situation in medicine, education and other spheres that desperately need money," said Kranevskis.
What do you think about Agriculture Minister Atis Slakteris? Latvia's parliament is well-known for short-term ministers?
"We farmers know Slakteris well. He is from Bauska. He is a farmer himself and knows very well what agriculture needs. Still it means a lot that he is from People's Party," said Kranevskis.
At the end Kranevskis said that there are still many things hidden from farmers. "We don't know where they go and where they take us. There are so many talks about EU, but farmers are not informed about proposals in EU programs."
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