Industry

LVM revenue in the reporting period reached 615.8 million euros, of which 580.6 million euros, or 94%, came from sales of wood products. lvm.lv

Amid uncertainty about the area of commercial forest and the availability of timber, companies lose the ability to plan their raw material supply and long-term investments with any confidence. Capital simply prices such uncertainty in through a higher risk premium, and that means more expensive financing or a decision not to invest at all.delfi.lv

The use of timber panels makes it possible to renovate buildings up to twice as fast, because around 90% of the work is done in the factory, reducing the impact of weather on the construction process and the disruption that the works cause for residents.db.lv

It cannot be right that the law states spruce must be grown for 80 years while the commercially and economically justified felling age is 50 years. Forestry today is practised differently from how it was twenty or more years ago.mezaipasnieki.lv

When we talk about the desired age of forests and the diameter of the trees in them, we should understand that forests differ in their fertility and cannot all be measured by the same yardstick. On the whole, though, a discussion about what forest age or tree diameter we want to achieve in Latvia is, in my view, a useful one.lasi.lv

There will certainly be enough work for us, and there is scope to widen our export horizons too. Who knows – perhaps not only in Europe, but also, for example, in North America, where vast forest areas are under management. delfi.lv

Worth knowing! Upcoming and current events

28 February, the Vijciems cone kiln festival
Until 22 March anyone interested is invited to see the historic cone kiln in operationlvm.lv

28 February, an educational hike in the Abava valley “Wetlands are closer than you think!”

daba.gov.lv

13 March a seminar for hunters at Valmiermuiža “Hunting, society and nature conservation. Controlling wild animal populations in Latvia. Problems and solutions”

lmsp.lv

20 March a seminar for hunters in Koknese “Hunting, society and nature conservation. The role and functions of the State Forest Service in hunting. Controlling wild animal populations in Latvia”
lmsp.lv

Until 22 March entries may be submitted to the photography competition My Bird 2026varam.gov.lv

23 March, International Day of Forests 2026
More information about the event

13-15 May the international conference “Education, innovation and cooperation for the future of the regions” at Malnava Collegelbtu.lv

22 and 23 May, “Latvian Forest Days”lvm.lv

A survey on wetland restorationsilava.lv

A survey on the coexistence of livestock and wild animalssilava.lv

A survey on the forthcoming EU strategy for coastal communitieszm.gov.lv

Official

Gints Serafinovičs was actively involved in shutting down the channels used for the illegal import of wood products from the aggressor states, particularly birch plywood. Thanks to the work put in by the ambassador and the entire foreign service, significant progress was achieved in 2024 – illegal plywood imports into Latvia fell by a factor of 30...zm.gov.lv

The Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development has prepared a report entitled “Developing a biodiversity credit system in Latvia: mechanisms, scenarios and preconditions for implementation”, which brings together international experience and analyses the options for introducing a biodiversity credit system in Latvia. varam.gov.lv

Forecasting specialists from the regional units of the State Plant Protection Service have assessed the results of last season's observations of fruit crop diseases and pests and, taking those and the likely weather conditions during this year's growing season into account, have forecast how the most significant diseases and pests will develop in the 2026 season. vaad.gov.lv

A step further

All 16 planned turbines of the “Laflora Energy” wind farm have been built on the former peat extraction fields of the company “Laflora”. Each turbine will have a capacity of 6.8 megawatts.zz.lv

Hunting

In a recent statement, the European Commission announced that the Birds and Habitats Directives will be subjected to a “stress test” (review) in 2026, which will take account of several important aspects, including climate change, food security, competitiveness, resilience, developments in case law, and the need for legal certainty...lmsp.lv

s-komisija
On 25 February, as part of its open day, the Saeima Defence, Home Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee held a sitting to which it invited public organisations involved in maintaining public order, animal welfare matters and threat prevention.medibam.lv

In order to obtain as complete a picture as possible of the distribution of wolves in Latvia, the State Forest Service and the Ministry of Agriculture are calling on the public to report signs of wolf presence.vmd.gov.lv

Until quite recently it was thought that the European wildcat had already died out in some Central European countries. Yet data from recent years show the opposite trend. A species long considered to be on the brink of extinction is gradually regaining ground in Europe's forests.medibam.lv

Environment

The responsible services have already begun preparing for the spring season well in advance as a precaution, in order to reduce potential risks and ensure that material resources are available.kem.gov.lv

Roe deer do not need any special help. It is enough for people not to disturb them unnecessarily and to keep an eye on their dogs. If you are keen to help roe deer in deep snow, the best thing you can do is give them access to aspen, willow and rowan twigs. You can also put out coarse, good-quality hay – clover or lucerne. vmd.gov.lv

Now what?

Because of its reduced budget, the DAP is looking for ways to protect natural habitats and specially protected areas, which are most often degraded by public events. Several other mechanisms for topping up the tourism infrastructure maintenance budget are still under consideration, but for now the proposal is to set a price list tied directly to the number of participants at an event. lsm.lv

At present most people in Latvia pay nothing for outdoor recreation, but experts will discuss whether and how that might change in future. The main theme of the panel discussion will be the impact of active leisure and recreation on nature and future solutions for the sustainable use of nature.la.lv

Continuing where we left off

The recent Olympic Games demonstrated once again why such a warped construct can exist at all. Because the cogs of the system – the officials – are prepared to swallow anything. That was plain to see from our own Latvian lads, who, after the disqualification of the Ukrainian skeleton athlete, still have not stepped down from their posts in the international federations. They supposedly disagree with the decision, supposedly knew nothing about it, supposedly were not listened to – yet they are still holding on to their positions. lsm.lv

The document also includes provisions allowing financial sanctions to be imposed on them. It is not precisely defined which infringements are meant, but most likely it could include open and public support for Ukraine. If an infringement is established, an athlete may be warned, barred from starting or expelled from the delegation, with their accreditation revoked and them being sent home.tv3.lv

Miscellaneous

...has identified indications of a prohibited agreement between the two largest food retail companies, which may not have acted independently and may have coordinated their product prices with each other, adversely affecting consumers' interests...tvnet.lv

The situation is very serious – we have landed ourselves in a real mess. There has been an unreasonable assumption that the European Union would fund 85% of the entire project.nra.lv

Demand for psychiatric consultations has risen recently, while access has become somewhat worse. There clearly is a mental health crisis, but that is a broader phenomenon – the aftermath of the pandemic, the proximity of the war and the economic situation. tvnet.lv

Current affairs in cartoons

diena.lv · kurinama nauda 14348264

diena.lv · finansejuma avotu rikstnieks 14348525

lasi.lv · zime gatis sluka kur gan ir setnieks