3–10 April - Zeme un valsts

11th LMSP International Conference in 30 days, 29 October. Learn more ›

Weekly review

19–25 September

12-18 September

29 August – 4 September

27 June – 3 July

30 May – 5 June

Poll

Concern about gaps in the skills and knowledge of our pupils is voiced quite widely from time to time. Unfortunately, only when someone from outside Latvia has concluded as much. Why is that?

There is a political tendency to be busy, to invest, to make promises, but not to think about the results

If you have little knowledge yourself, you do not even know how or what you do not know...

A smart society is not always desirable or welcome

Many interests swirl around education. A "good result" is rarely mentioned among them

A lighter note

“Why are the trees here so big?”

VIDEO

The Baltics in the Kremlin's sights. How serious is the threat?

Latvian and Baltic economic review

From log to microchip: where is Latvia's export value actually created?

3–10 April

Zemeunvalsts.lv | 10.04.2026

Industry

The internal inquiry carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture found no evidence that the state suffered losses from the support given to timber industry companies in 2023, Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze said at a press conference.diena.lv

Note: it was a pleasant surprise that the programme's journalists invited Māris Ķirsons, who knows the Ministry of Agriculture's sector well, to take part, rather than one of the so-called investigative journalists or those openly backing some form of activism.
Lately, support for timber companies has probably drawn the most fire, but there are other developments in the sector too. Krustpunkts puts Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze on the spot.replay.lsm.lv

The question of why it had to be done at the time remains open, and, as could be inferred from what was said at the press conference, these aspects will also have to be assessed by the disciplinary committee. The pricing method that was introduced has been reviewed by the audit firm KPMG.nra.lv

Despite the challenges on the global timber market, the company met its financial targets and delivered steady growth in profitability.rigasmezi.lv

Sweden, where, unlike in Latvia, felling much younger trees is allowed, wants to move towards rules that would give forest owners even greater freedom to decide for themselves what age of trees to fell at any given time. nra.lv

Worth knowing! Upcoming and ongoing events

Until 26 April an orienteering game at the manor houses of Valmiera Municipality, “Catch the Hare at the Manor”valmierasnovads.lv

22 April, a seminar “How to Protect Spruce Forest from Bark Beetle”zemeunvalsts.lv

13-15 May International conference “Education, Innovation and Cooperation for the Future of the Regions” at Malnava Collegelbtu.lv

22 and 23 May, “Latvia's Forest Days”lvm.lv

Until 31 May public engagement campaign “Become an Avenue Detective!”kurzemesregions.lv

Baloži peat railway museum excursions in 2026kudrasbanitis.lv

Garden days and masterclasses at the Institute of Horticulture in 2026fruittechcentre.eu

Official

Micro-reserves for the protection of specially protected bird species have been established on the applicants' properties, with restrictions placed on economic activity within them.
The applicants argued that the compensation set for these restrictions was disproportionately low, thereby restricting their property rights, and that the principle of legal equality had been breached, since the same level of compensation had been set for all forest owners without justification.lsm.lv

As a result of cooperation between the Nature Conservation Agency and the Latvian Orienteering Federation, the agency has developed an online site for preparing applications for orienteering events that require the agency's permission when held in specially protected nature areas. Applications can be filled in online from 1 April this year.daba.gov.lv

To help restore the former little tern population in Kurzeme, the Nature Conservation Agency is closing the mouths of the Ķikana, Irbe and Lūžņa rivers to visitors from 1 April to 1 August. daba.gov.lv

The project's aim is to assess the current state of Latvia's water management sector and identify the reforms needed to ensure sustainable, uninterrupted and high-quality water supply and sewerage services in the long term. kem.gov.lv

Economy

Premature mortality among Latvia's population (and its relatively poor state of health) is the result of an interplay of several factors: comparatively low funding for healthcare, inefficient use of that funding, and an unhealthy lifestyle – high tobacco and alcohol consumption, excess weight, low fruit and vegetable intake, insufficient physical activity, and social isolation.makroekonomika.lv

(...) In the first two months of this year, Russia was Latvia's sixth most important export partner. Goods worth almost EUR 150 million were sent to the aggressor state. At the same time, the volume of imports was comparatively negligible (...)tv3.lv

Officials are already warning in spring 2026 that “a rise in heating costs is expected in autumn, and electricity will also become more expensive”, if the geopolitical situation does not improve.zemeunvalsts.lv

This is felt particularly keenly in agricultural sectors with a strongly dominant export orientation, including crop farming, where rising production costs directly reduce the ability to compete on international markets.db.lv

(...) Residents of Zosna village are pleasantly surprised by the planned reconstruction of the manor house, as they no longer expected that the historic building could be saved.lsm.lv

At the moment everything looks fine in fruit growing, but the biggest factor, which occurs every year, is of course late frosts, which tend to develop into a full freeze.diena.lv

The taxi sector's protest is aimed against the exploitation of one platform's monopoly position and against government diktat.diena.lv

Hunting

The Hunting Law was not created so that everyone could hunt wherever, whenever and as much as they like. It is not a tool for ensuring individual convenience. Laws and rules exist to set out a clear framework within which hunting can be carried out responsibly and sustainably. medibam.lv

If ponds and beaver wetlands are suitable for waterfowl nesting, then puddles in fields, temporarily flooded or floodable areas and bogs will be more available for birds' short-term stopover needs.medibam.lv

Although wolf monitoring data do not show a sharp rise in wolf numbers, the state authority responsible for the field is open to a discussion on radical changes to wolf hunting regulation.lr1.lsm.lv

Targets and audit

(...) at least two measures will bring additional costs for residents – the obligation placed on fuel suppliers to reduce the intensity of GHG emissions, and the polluter-pays principle being introduced into tax policy. lsm.lv

If we call these targets climate targets, then they must actually relate to climate. Climate has specific indicators. The main ones are temperature and precipitation levels.nra.lv

Environment

The document has been revised on the basis of expert assessments and additional data analysis, as well as by taking into account the arguments and views expressed by various interest groups. The core principles and nature conservation objectives remain unchanged (...)daba.gov.lv

The Nature Conservation Agency's LIFE IS SALACA project is launching the drafting of a nature conservation plan for the specially protected nature area – the “Salaca Valley” nature park – for the next 12 years (2027-2039). varam.gov.lv

The first preparatory and bog restoration works began in autumn 2025. The largest volume of work has already been completed in the Dūmiņi and Palši bogs.lvm.lv

A year has passed since the landslide was discovered on the steep bank of the Mēmele by Bauska Castle, yet reinforcement works have still not begun. bauskasdzive.lv

(...) the big unknown is the white storks, since a white stork nest has undergone changes this spring, namely the previous nest, where the storks nested last year, had grown so large that it became unstable (...)lsm.lv

Reducing bureaucracy. First steps

The document provides for a total of 19 measures in the field of corruption prevention and combating, the implementation of which has been assigned to the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) and other institutions.lsm.lv

(...) council members do not receive payment for this work. Meetings are planned once a quarter, though depending on the situation or need, they may be held more often.delfi.lv

Current affairs in cartoons

lasi.lv · zime gatis sluka lasi mazos burtus

diena.lv · olas svetkos 14350109

lasi.lv · zime gatis sluka cina jau jasak

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