On upcoming events
### Continuing voting for the European Tree of the Year in Latvia
We invite and remind you to choose the tree with the most vivid story, vote, and encourage your relatives, friends, and colleagues to take part!
### On 20 October at Jelgava Palace, in the auditorium of the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (formerly LLU), the annual internal forestry conference is scheduled. Starting at 10:00, there will be reports on the operation of the forest industry under wartime conditions (a representative from Ukraine), updates on international markets, a breakdown of energy issues, and other topics relevant to the sector.
The conference is an internal event for forest industry companies and organisations, with a limited number of public administration representatives and “industry friends” also attending.
### From 20 to 22 October in Daugavpils, the 11th International Conference on Biodiversity Research (ICBR 2022).
### 28 October Forest Faculty reunion
### LMSP 7th International Conference “Sustainability of Land-Use Sectors – Under the Conditions of European Environmental Policy Requirements and Geopolitical Reality” on 3 November at the Faculty of Forest of the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LLU).
On political news
Latvia has completed its homework so that from 2023, Latvian farmers can receive European Union support from agriculture and rural development funds. In total, 2.5 billion euros have been earmarked for supporting Latvian farmers over the next five years. The majority of this support, or 1.714 billion euros, will be granted in the form of direct payments. Meanwhile, 0.791 billion euros are allocated for rural development measures, and 10.1 million euros for common market organisation support measures. This funding will allow for strengthening the competitiveness of the Latvian agricultural sector and maintaining the initiated course towards productivity, sustainability, and the production of innovative products, which strengthens our export capabilities.
In recent years, the UN Security Council has paid increasing attention to the fact that non-state armed groups and terrorist groups derive income from the theft of natural resources. The Council has approved several resolutions in which it points to the need to step up the fight against the illegal extraction and smuggling of natural resources to prevent funds from ending up in the coffers of organised crime and terrorist groups.
On industry news
Within the framework of the international VIOBOND project, what is potentially the world's first industrial resin production facility based on lignin, a natural component of wood, is being built in Riga; by 2025, it could significantly reduce the consumption of the fossil phenol and formaldehyde used to date.
Once every five years, the company awards the “Silver Birch Leaf” to employees, partners, and advisors whose presence has helped “Latvijas Finieris” take decisive steps in this changing world. This year, at the “Latvijas Finieris” 30th anniversary concert on 30 September, 23 “Silver Birch Leaf” laureates were ceremoniously honoured. They are top-tier professionals, a model of how to build joint development decisions through respectful dialogue.
The Sub-committee on Crafts and Small Business of the Saeima Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee will call on the 14th Saeima and the new government to reassess the use of peat in energy after 2030.
Sub-committee head Romāns Naudiņš (ZZS) emphasised at the sub-committee meeting on Tuesday that adding energy peat to wood chips can significantly reduce heating costs. It would also guarantee greater energy independence during times of crisis.
In the Bauska municipality, Vecumnieki parish, the peat extraction company AS “Agaris Latvia” (previously “Greenyard Horticulture Latvia”, and before that “Misas kūdra”) operated last year with a turnover of 14.667 million euros, which is 13.8% more than the year before, while the company's profit decreased by 30.6% to 1.822 million euros, according to information published by “Firmas.lv”.
The fuel shortage and high prices will be partially addressed by harvesting wood chips from overgrown meadows. Such a decision has been made in the South Kurzeme municipality, where boiler houses are primarily heated with wood chips, which already cost four times more than last year. Following the municipal reform, the local authority, where the situation and heating systems vary across several towns and settlements, is currently in the process of merging capital companies.
LVM “Zemes dzīles” has carried out an on-site inspection of historical peat site territories and, following the assessment, has decided to put forward three bog areas in various parts of Latvia for further geological exploration. As a result of the study, “LVM Zemes dzīles” will obtain information on peat geological reserves and their quality. Therefore, “LVM Zemes dzīles” invites cooperation partners to apply, who will carry out the research for this resource, so significant for the Latvian national economy, with the highest precision and quality, in order to make responsible decisions regarding further action, balancing the approach of a prudent manager with responsibility towards the environment and society.
The largest producer of wooden pallets and pallet collars, SIA Kronus, is investing 2.2 million euros to develop metal processing—cutting metal coils into strips—thereby providing the necessary product not only for its own factory but also for other consumers. This is stated by Igors Ževaks, Chairman of the Board of SIA Kronus, in an interview with Dienas Bizness. He points out that wooden packaging production requires metal components, such as hinges, the production of which the company had already started previously, and this step has helped significantly in maintaining competitiveness in the market, especially after the start of hostilities in Ukraine.
Despite the spread of C19 globally and in Latvia, timber producer and trader SIA “AKZ” continued stable business last year, closing 2021 with a profit of 51.28 million euros after tax, according to “Lursoft” data.
“Lursoft” has found that the profit of SIA “AKZ”, compared to 2020, has grown more than 5 times. It should be noted that the turnover of SIA “AKZ” has also shown a significant increase, which last year reached 122.96 million EUR. This is 58.66% more than in 2020. According to the information summarised in the “Lursoft” multi-report, last year's turnover and profit result is the highest in the entire history of SIA “AKZ” operations.
On the economy
https://www.makroekonomika.lv/latvijas-banka-parskata-makroekonomiskas-prognozes-2
The base scenario of the Bank of Latvia's forecasts expects a short-term recession. High energy prices have worsened the outlook for economic activity, but the high growth at the start of the year allows for keeping the 2022 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) forecast similar to the previously projected one – 3.0% (June forecast – 2.9%).
The discharge of debts left unresolved from the 2008 crisis became possible after amendments to the Credit Institutions Law were adopted by the Saeima in 2020. It was estimated that in this debt discharge programme, “Swedbank” could consider reducing or writing off obligations for more than 3,100 contracts.
The labour tax burden on the average wage in Latvia in 2021 was 40.5%, which was indeed lower than in 2020, but that did not prevent it from maintaining the title of Baltic champion in this discipline and taking third place in Northern Europe after Finland and Sweden.
Such is the picture shown by data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is surprising that in 2021, the labour tax burden on the average wage in wealthy Denmark was 35.4%, in not-so-poor Norway – 36%, in Lithuania – 37.6%, in Estonia – 38.1%, and in Poland even 34.9%.
On disputes
On other events
On 30 September of this year, the “Forest Science Afternoon” was held as part of the annual European Researchers' Night, with more than 550 participants taking part. The event, which was organised by LVMI Silava with the support of the Forest Development Fund and the Salaspils District Council, was filled with various events and informative activities.
About whether politics is the only game in town, about 30 years of democracy in Latvia, and the adaptive nature of Latvians. Also, about whether power should be given to those with higher education and achievements in academic fields.
Three bison have been found wandering and grazing freely in the Līvāni municipality; their behaviour leads specialists to believe that the bison are accustomed to humans and could have escaped from a place where they were kept in a fenced area in captivity. As bison are kept in deer parks and private zoological gardens both in Latvia and in neighbouring countries, the Authority calls on the owners of the bison to come forward urgently and reminds others: do not approach, do not disturb, and under no circumstances feed the animals!
For the second time, the “Happiness at Home” survey conducted by Asuntosäätiö explored the state of Finnish happiness and the importance of home. The results show that homes are directly linked to happiness. Home was put forward as the second most important source of happiness, right after health. Compared to last year, the importance of health has decreased slightly as the coronavirus pandemic has subsided.
In the fight for the handsome funding that various state departments allocate to public relations and advertising campaigns, the most active have fished a seven-digit catch out of the state purse. The “Delfi” study highlights a trio of agencies that have managed to absorb public money particularly well during this Saeima convocation, but others have also been hot on their heels, because according to calculations by the portal “Delfi”, more than 15 million euros have been spent on various campaigns during this government's term.
In a report published every four years by the organisation “BirdLife International”, it is also concluded that nearly half of all bird species are seeing population declines, and only 6% of bird species' populations are increasing.
And another thing. If the Animal Protection Law is so universal and aimed at animal welfare, then who exactly and how do they control the section of the law which states that “a person is prohibited from keeping an animal if they have been convicted of cruelty to an animal”?
https://www.jab.lv/55-uncategorised/303-jurmalas-domes-zzs-latvijas-zalas-partijas-un-saskanas-deputati-nepadodas-teritorijas-plana-grozijumos-joprojam-paredzeta-150-000-m2-mezu-iznicinasana
...deputies are not backing down from building on another 15,000 m2 of natural areas. Another 88,000 m2 of forest are intended for detached house development in areas where building was previously justified by the construction of state and municipal public structures. These are areas in Lielupe, Bulduri, Dzintari, Pumpuri, Jaundubulti, Asari, and Valteri. The municipality still does not respond to requests to provide any calculations or other justification that would suggest that the destruction of huge natural areas is in the interests of the residents and will bring them benefits. Such calculations would certainly confirm that the deputies' general claims about the benefits of increasing the population in terms of taxes and new water and sewage consumers, if compared with the damage caused, are the most ordinary propaganda.
Current cartoons