Weather-affected farmers should be met halfway instead of being bothered by various checks - president

RIGA - Farmers that have been affected by bad weather conditions should be met halfway instead of being bothered by various checks, President Edgars Rinkevics said while visiting farms hit by this summer's prolonged rains.

During a visit to Lazdumajas, a farm in the Deksare parish, Rezekne municipality, Rinkevics stressed that it is necessary to learn about the real problems that people in Latvia's rural areas are facing. In his view, it will be necessary to see what can be done to cut red tape and what assistance can be expected from the European Union (EU).

Rinkevics mentioned that he planned to meet representatives of farmers' organizations this Wednesday to get a more comprehensive picture of the situation.

As the president's spokesman Martins Dregeris told LETA, Rinkevics and the farmers discussed the impact of the state of emergency declared in the sector, the quality of support measures provided to date, the farmers' experience with insurance companies and proposals to prepare the sector for the consequences of prolonged adverse weather conditions. The measures taken by farmers themselves to diversify risks and adapt to climatic conditions were also discussed.

The president said that the discussions with farmers, as well as what he had seen in the fields and meadows, showed that the long-term effects of weather had to be taken into account. He stressed that the damage caused by the weather would affect not only the quantity and quality of this season's harvest, but also the harvest cycle as a whole.

"This year's climatic conditions threaten farmers' ability to meet their obligations, be they contractual obligations with business partners or credit institutions," Rinkevics said.

The president noted that all the parties concerned need to work towards a long-term solution, using the available resources and instruments - it would take cutting red tape on the part of the authorities overseeing agriculture, more extensive insurance of crop fields, and a more cooperative attitude on the part of the banks.

As reported, at an extraordinary meeting last Tuesday, the government declared a state of emergency in agriculture in the entire territory of Latvia until November 4, 2025 in order to overcome damage done by frosts, rains and floods this year.

According to the Agriculture Ministry's decree supported by the government today, since May 2025 adverse weather conditions in Latvia have resulted in flooding of crops in many regions, significantly reducing yields and completely destroying crops on some farms. Excessive soil moisture also often prevents farm machinery from accessing fields, delaying or making it impossible to cultivate and harvest crops. Delays in farming operations result in germination of unharvested crops, affecting their quality.

The ministry points out that excessive moisture has also caused grain, legumes, potato and other crops to rot in the fields in many places. Furthermore, in many places it was impossible to plant crops in time this year, where sowing never began and the fields are still uncultivated.

According to the ministry, this year's significant losses suffered by fruit growers were caused by the spring frosts, which severely damaged blooming fruit and berry trees, as well as prolonged rains and floods during the summer months. Cattle farms have also been affected by the adverse conditions.

The Agriculture Ministry explains that this is the third year in a row that the farm sector has been affected by adverse weather conditions and that the overall situation is causing significant losses, threatening the viability of many farms across the country.

According to the Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center, rainfall in May and June 2025 significantly exceeded the monthly norm, flooding farmland in central and eastern regions of the country. In May, the total rainfall in Latvia reached 84.7 millimeters, which is 68 percent above norm, in June it was 91.1 millimeters, 30 percent above the norm, in the first ten days of July it was 25.6 millimeters, 12 percent above the norm, and in the second ten days of July 35.1 millimeters, 40 percent above the norm.

The Agriculture Ministry says in its report that by July 10, farmers had informed the Rural Support Service about 51,498 hectares of agricultural areas damaged or not sown as a result of frost and heavy rains, causing an estimated loss of EUR 63.886 million in total.

The ministry emphasizes that, as farmers continue to submit reports to the Rural Support Service, the total area of damaged areas and losses will increase further. The actual extent of the damage could also be much higher, as not all farmers have submitted their reports so far.

The Agriculture Ministry explains that farmers have both financial commitments and contractual relations with partners and buyers, including for delivery of their produce. The current unfavorable situation in agriculture due to prolonged rains and flooding raises serious concerns about farmers' ability to meet their commitments, in particular their contractual obligations.

The ministry points out that this issue is particularly acute for cooperative societies, which ensure marketing of members' produce, mainly for export. Grain is one of the most important segments in Latvia's agricultural exports, and failure to fulfil supply contracts can have a significant impact on both the sector's reputation in international markets and Latvia's overall export performance.

Therefore the Agriculture Ministry underlines that by declaring a state of emergency, the relevant authorities will be able to implement legal solutions provided for in the law in cases of force majeure or exceptional circumstances, such as assessing the possibility of not imposing penalties or other appropriate measures for those farmers who have been affected by adverse weather conditions in 2025.

Similarly, credit institutions and other parties involved in the Latvian and international contractual relations will be able to assess the possibility of not imposing penalties on farmers affected by adverse weather conditions in 2025 if farmers fail to honor their contractual obligations, which will enable the affected farms to remain solvent and continue production in the following seasons.

The Agriculture Ministry has also submitted to the European Commission its estimates of the impact of the 2025 adverse weather conditions on farmers and has called for a possibility to be found to compensate Latvian farmers from the European Union budget for losses they have suffered as a result of the adverse weather conditions.

The ministry notes that farmers may also apply to the State Revenue Service to request that overdue tax payments be spread over a period of up to one year.