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Commit to bringing more domestic products to store shelves

Latvian farmers and Latvian shopkeepers have agreed to pay more attention to having more domestic berries, fruits and vegetables on store shelves. This was confirmed in a special memorandum of understanding signed by industry on Monday, 6 July. The reaction of buyers to this, however, will largely depend on the price of the products.

The memorandum envisages the co-operation of all involved parties – the Ministry of Agriculture, organizations representing farmers and traders – in order to jointly ensure a higher share of fruits, berries and vegetables produced in Latvia at points of sale. Both farmers and final consumers will benefit from it.

“To receive a quality Latvian product on a daily basis for your needs, high-quality, meeting all requirements. And, on the other hand, in order to strengthen the confidence of Latvian local producers and opportunities to produce quality products, to supply them in Latvian markets, ”emphasized Minister of Agriculture Kaspars Gerhards (NA).

“Farmers will have a sense of stability, they will know that their produce will be taken. However, because this is a long-term process, the farmer has to reckon with how much he has to produce and how much he can sell. And consumers will also have a guarantee that they will buy quality products, ”added Edgars Treibergs, the head of the Cooperation Council of Farmers’ Organizations.

The proposal is also supported by traders. They have already noticed that a large part of the population wants domestic products, but not all stores are able to provide it due to the lack of cooperation between producers and traders.

“It simply came to our notice then. This is a clear signal that the priority during the season is Latvian vegetables, berries and fruits. And it should dominate almost all retail stores. The buyer also wants it, ”says Noris Krūzītis, Executive Director of the Latvian Food Traders Association.

Although farmers are able to produce local products during the season to supply shops, they would have to face a number of challenges in the event of higher demand, according to the traders’ association. This is both quality assurance and the ability to deliver products with a certain regularity.

“And the third is the price. Because now, as recent research shows, people are becoming more price-oriented and less nationally patriotic. In recent years, fewer Latvian products have been chosen, regardless of price. In turn, the price principle is still very strong and has even increased, ”admits Henriks Danusēvičs, President of the Latvian Traders’ Association.

Therefore, traders would like to see reduced VAT not only for fruits and vegetables typical of Latvia, but also for other food products. In this way, people could afford to buy better quality food, as well as help local producers sell their products on a larger scale.

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