Baltic farmers’ delegations meet with Ansip to discuss unfair direct payments

RIGA - Baltic farmers' organizations continue the series of meetings with Baltic state and government leaders to discuss the Baltic countries' joint position on the European Union's multiannual budget, as Agricultural Cooperative Societies Association's representative Sabine Puke informed LETA.

Today, Baltic farmers' delegations will have a meeting with Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip in Tallinn, whereas Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (Unity) will meet with Latvian, Estonian and Lithuanian farmers' representatives on Feb. 4.

During these meetings, Farmers' Saeima deputy chairwoman Maira Dzelzkaleja and Agricultural Cooperative Societies Association's board member Uldis Krievars will represent Latvian farmers.

Latvian Farmer Organizations Cooperation Council's chairman Edgars Traubergs and his deputy Armands Krauze will also participate in the meeting with Dombrovskis.

As reported, Baltic politicians and farmers' non-governmental organizations are currently considering possible solutions to the problem of unfair EU payments to Baltic farmers.

Latvia wants Brussels to introduce fair direct payments to farmers, stipulating that the lowest payments must constitute at least 80 percent of the average amount of the EU direct payments already in 2014. At the moment, Latvian farmers receive the smallest direct payments in the EU, 63 lats (87 euros) per hectare or less, while the average figure in Europe is 266 euros per hectare.

On Feb. 5, Baltic farmers will light a total of 400 bonfires along the "Via Baltica" highway in a symbolic "Baltic Way" chain acknowledging the Baltic countries' unity in demanding fair direct payments to farmers.