Latvian farmer unions have plans to organize massive protest acts over the defamation of farmers and the lack of response from Minister of Environment Protection and Regional Development Artūrs Toms Plešs to the complaints from farmers and forest workers, farmer unions report.
Board chairman of Latvian Association of Agricultural Cooperatives Indulis Jansons explains: «Considering the minister’s inability to respond to the situation and his lack of respect for the needs of farmers and forest workers, we are forced to organize large protest acts. Planning will commence today.»
«The protest will be organised between 15 and 23 June. If our demands are not met and no dialogue is commenced, we may request the minister’s dismissal. The protest will include bringing tractors and forest equipment to the streets in Riga and national roads.»
On 21 May 2021 Latvian Farmers Saeima, Latvian Forest Owners Union, Latvian Association of Agricultural Cooperatives, Latvian New Farmers Club, Cooperation Council of Agricultural Organizations, and Farmers Union sent SIA EHR Mediju Grupa, Ministry of Environment Protection and Regional Development and Latvian Environment Protection Fund’s council chairman Artūrs Toms Plešs and open letter, requesting a public apology for the state budget-financed commercial in which farmers are labeled as «mass murderers», as well as asking a change of the rules in accordance with which financing is provided from the Latvian Environment Protection Fund so that
Farmers Saeima deputy board chairperson Maira Dzelzkalēja-Burmistre says: «The minister and SIA HER Mediju Grupa had until 11:00 28 May to respond. We respect the approach taken by SIA Mediju Grupa, who apologized to farmers in public and explained the situation. But we have not heard any official response from Artūrs Toms Plešs.»
She continues: «Farmers and forest workers have no plans to drop complaints, because unlike politicians, we resolve our problems. We don’t hide our heads in the sand. We started resolving LVAF issues with then the minister of environment protection Juri Pūci. We will continue doing this. Unfortunately, the letters detailing lies and half-truths and addressed to LVAF were ignored. The response we received was that what was said in publications ‘was not a show of good practice’. LVAF council reported finding no problems with published information.»
Latvian New Farmers Club board chairperson Sandra Eimane stresses that «such attitude from politicians is completely unacceptable and is a blatant example of the minister finding agriculture and forestry unimportant even though together they form 40% of Latvia’s export». ■