Weekly review
Poll
November is here... What would be the best thing it could bring us...
A continuation of this beautiful autumn
A knowledgeable and stable government that knows how
Peace for our friends in Ukraine
Many small, personal successes that turn into one Great Success
14-20 December
Worth knowing! On upcoming and current events
A new exhibition, “Who was rustling in the forest?”, has been open on the Līgatne nature trails since December
A discussion on the management of the red deer population on 29 January 2025
27-29 March 2025, the 12th Baltic Theriological Conference “Baltic mammals in the turbulence of anthropogenic tensions”
On industry matters
During the 2024 peat extraction season, “Laflora” extracted 148 thousand tonnes of peat, the highest seasonal output in the company's 30-year history.
The whole world is open to me. Logistics change, of course, but as long as there is no sort of cataclysm, it makes no difference whether it is Europe or Asia. If I had to focus on Europe alone, I would say the business ought to be shut down.
More than 40 million euros will be invested in the AmberBirch plant by mid-2025 in order to double birch plywood production capacity, begin manufacturing higher-quality veneer products and broaden the product range.
In 2023, according to data from the International Trade Center (the ITC is supported by the UN trade and development agency (UN Conference on Trade and Development), the European Union and the World Trade Organization), Latvia ranked 7th in the world for exports of Christmas trees and other leafy trees and branches per capita.
...the reality in Tome parish, where Christmas trees have grown up in rows across several hectares. The president himself comes to visit them.
In a forest not far from Trikāta, German tanks, motorcycles and artillery pieces once stood in around 100 geometrically arranged rectangular plots. Local historian Inga Boškina explained that the site has long been talked about, but little is known about it.
On official matters
Important regulations coming into force at the beginning of 2025
The Ministry of Agriculture's most significant achievements in 2024
2024 was a significant year for the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development (VARAM), which delivered a number of major projects and initiatives in the fields of digital transformation, regional development and nature conservation
An Energy and Environment Agency is being established through the reorganisation of the State Environmental Impact Assessment Bureau and the energy division of the State Construction Control Bureau.
On the economy
Several changes in the field of value added tax will come into force in 2025. One of the most important concerns the calculation of the VAT registration threshold.
Latvia's largest business association, the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LTRK), points out that in the context of Latvia's economic development and the strengthening of its infrastructure, public-private partnership (PPP) is an instrument whose potential is not being fully used.
SIA Linas Agro, the Latvian arm of the Lithuanian agriculture, food production and trading group Akola Group, has acquired 100% of the shares in SIA Elagro Trade. It is one of Latvia's leading companies in the grain, seed, plant protection product and mineral fertiliser business.
In their view, the hotel, restaurant and catering sector (HoReCa) is on the brink of collapse, which could also lead to a fall in the number of local beer producers. Nor is any growth in the brewing industry to be expected in 2025.
On hunting
On 16 December 2024, the State Forest Service received notification that 291 wolves had been shot. Wolf hunting for the remainder of this season is therefore permitted only on a case-by-case basis, subject to prior approval from the hunting officer of the relevant State Forest Service regional forestry office.
The State Forest Service reminds hunters that red deer may be hunted during the hours of darkness only if moonlight is bright enough to make out the target, the hunter is on a raised platform no lower than 2.5 m, and no spotlight, night-vision or thermal sight is used (i.e. hunting is done with mechanical, “red dot” or optical sights).
To reduce damage caused by red deer to forestry and agricultural crops, the State Forest Service will, in certain locations, issue holders of hunting rights additional hind hunting permits amounting to 10% of the red deer quota calculated for the regional forestry office.
On environmental matters
Work has begun on the state research programme project “High-resolution quantification of biodiversity for nature conservation and management: HiQBioDiv”, which aims to provide new knowledge and solutions to help meet the targets of the European Union's biodiversity strategy.
A year has passed since the start of the LIFE IS SALACA study in Latvia, run jointly by five organisations. Over this year we have laid firm foundations for the study to continue successfully.
With the removal of some 60 previously assembled piles of ground vegetation, another stage of work has been completed in the set of habitat restoration measures in the Natura 2000 site of the “Engure Lake” nature park, where AS “Latvijas valsts meži” is using forestry methods across two areas totalling 33 ha to improve the quality of a habitat of European Union importance — wooded coastal dunes.
On transport and railways
Responsibility for the Rail Baltica project, the largest in Latvia's history in terms of both money and strategic importance, rests largely with the prime minister and the highest level of government. It is therefore inevitable that the final report of the parliamentary inquiry commission, after six months of work, is political...
The Public Transport Council has decided that, for the Vilnius-Riga-Tallinn rail connection, Latvia will lease a train from Lithuania for around 117,000 euros a year so that the train run by Lithuanian passenger rail operator LTG Link from Vilnius to Riga can continue on to Valga and back.
There are ten ways to get by public transport from Rēzekne, the second-largest city in Latgale, to the capital, Riga. Half of them run during the day, the other half very early in the morning, or practically at night. The last train leaves at four in the afternoon, the first bus at two in the morning.
On the interesting
Although historical topics prompt heated argument from time to time, and even “wars” on social media, there is still not enough public understanding that the humanities and social sciences, history among them, strengthen national identity, foster an understanding of statehood and, accordingly, the country's long-term sustainability.
Although we are aware that a comparatively small number of Latvia's inhabitants were involved in rescuing Jews, there are more than 600 documented cases of rescue. More than 200 of them ended tragically — someone informed, someone noticed, the hiding was discovered.
The news in cartoons