On industry policy issues
The majority of the funding invested in the sector over the last four years – 1.2 billion euros – was received by farmers in direct payments. The funding was paid out to more than 55,000 farmers. At the same time, more than 700 million euros were invested in the development of Latvia’s rural areas. Under the leadership of the Minister of Agriculture, a significant increase in state subsidies for the agricultural sector was achieved – a total of 96.9 million euros over the four-year period.
...the time since the council of “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM) appointed me as Chairman of the Board at the end of July has been truly intense. The company is very large and significant for the Latvian economy, as it manages a quarter of Latvia's territory. The company's business processes are extensive, specific, and complex. Therefore, together with the LVM board, we have spent this time trying to get to know these business processes in detail.
We previously discussed that peat is still used for heating in the Nordic countries. In Latvia, this is no longer the case. Is the crisis not a reason to reconsider this issue for a moment? Certain companies are suggesting this, also promoting the idea in the Saeima’s Economic Committee. Is it worth raising the question of the temporary use of peat during the energy crisis?
https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/6612-as-latvijas-valsts-mezi-klust-par-latvijas-nacionalas-kudras-biedribas-biedru
To promote the sustainable management of Latvia’s wetlands and to become more actively involved in shaping sectoral policy, the joint-stock company “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM) is joining the Latvian National Peat Association (LNKB).
Continuing to develop the online services of the State Forest Register, the State Forest Service has prepared a video tutorial for forest owners or legal possessors on registering submitted forest inventory data online. Receiving the service remotely, without having to visit a forest district office, will allow owners to save time and other resources, as well as reduce the administrative burden in document processing.
Demand for sawn timber and chipboard is currently at a very low level. Initially, this was influenced by overproduction in the market, which arose at a time when buyers were trying to fill their warehouses and ensure they had stock before sanctions on Russian and Belarusian timber came into effect. Currently, the low demand is being influenced by a slowdown in construction activity due to rising interest rates on loans, the high cost of construction, and expectations of an economic downturn...
On profitability
The Covid-19 pandemic changed the course that many sectors had previously been on. While for some sectors it was a struggle for survival, there was no shortage of those for whom it was a time of new opportunities.
On the industry, woodchips, and heat
Already high heating tariffs may have to be raised further in those municipalities that use woodchips. From next year, in the European Union, large boiler houses will have to purchase CO2 quotas for burning biomass that does not meet various criteria. For district heating companies, this could mean additional expenses amounting to millions of euros. These will ultimately fall on the shoulders of residents in the form of tariff increases. To avoid this, companies must prove that the burned woodchips are sustainably sourced, but there is little clarity on how to do that.
Knowing how difficult it will be for everyone now and how much heating costs, I decided that I could offer a tariff like it was before the crisis – relatively cheap. If I can give it for 50 euros, then I will do it – I will share, meeting the heat consumer halfway...
In the spring, both pellet producers and municipal heating companies called on the government to declare a state of crisis in energy and to get involved in regulating woodchip prices. Politicians decided not to do so, and the Ministry of Economics still does not assess the situation as a crisis and sees no reason to intervene in the market. The consequences of this inaction are already visible in the price of pellets, and will be even more visible in residents’ heating bills in the winter. In order to ensure enough woodchips for heating, the government allowed more and thinner trees to be felled. This has had no impact on the price of woodchips, but the number of felling permits has already doubled, reports the TV3 programme “Nekā personīga”.
On the spruce bark beetle on the banks of the Amata
The Nature Conservation Agency (DAP) already released information last week that the section of the trail from Kārļu bridge to Zvārtas cliff is closed to visitors due to logging work. Meanwhile, people who headed there anyway were outraged that trees were cut down too close to the bank of the Amata.
As specified by the State Forest Service, the landowner was given permission to carry out a sanitary clear-cutting to stop the dying of spruces caused by the eight-toothed bark beetle. “The dead trees affected by the bark beetle can be dangerous to forest visitors, which is why they are being cut down,” explained Iveta Pavziniuka, a public relations specialist at the State Forest Service.
On popular sports, as well as bickering and arguing
### Liepāja University
The choice was between the University of Latvia (LU) and Riga Technical University (RTU). Those gathered unanimously decided to support the first option and join the LU, the portal reports. When asked what this would change in the life of LiepU, Chairman of the Constitutional Assembly Uldis Zupa admitted that it is very difficult to predict what changes there will be, how rapid they will be, and what the consequences will be.
Disagreements and division within the leadership of Liepāja University followed decisions about which of the Riga universities it might join. The University Senate and Constitutional Assembly decided that Liepāja University would join the University of Latvia, while another supreme decision-making body – the University Council – opposes this.
### Government
Kariņš did what his partners perceived as a cunning maneuver: he publicly named the ministries offered to the parties even before they had agreed. Thus, the AS and NA would have to explain why they had any objections and why the offer was bad.
Meanwhile, the leader of JV believes that the government model he proposed is very fair. “The offer is such that any person... I also invite you to take the pure mathematics, look at what is there to be divided. In my opinion, it is very difficult to divide it more fairly than what is currently offered. I myself have tried for a long time to divide it in all sorts of ways. This is the solution I have arrived at again and again. I think it is straightforward and fair,” Kariņš stated.
A video has appeared in the public domain that points to the interests of “Vienotība” in the joint-stock company “Latvijas Valsts Meži”.
### Professionalism
The scientific conference organised by the Bank of Latvia was honoured by the presence of European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, who was also prepared to give an exclusive interview to LTV. Unfortunately, there are very few comments on Ms Lagarde’s actual statements because what she said was completely overshadowed by the terrible simultaneous interpretation and the quite natural indignation about it.
### Society
A survey conducted by SKDS in September: 53% believe that “there is a secret group of organisations or people in the world who have an influence on all global processes and who control the work of the governments of many countries in the world”.
27% of respondents disagree with this statement, while another 20% answered “hard to say”, which in my subjective interpretation tends more towards the larger group – “I don't really know, but...”
On interesting developments
https://jauns.lv/raksts/zinas/528718-valsts-aizsargajamo-kulturas-piemineklu-saraksta-plano-ieklaut-vairakus-jaunus-objektus
The list of state-protected cultural monuments will be supplemented in the future by seventeen newly discovered hillforts in several regions of Latvia. Proposed for inclusion in the list as state-significant archaeological monuments are the hillforts of Kaļķi, Vanagi, Svātiune, Sloboda, Cucuri, Kurjanova, Ļūbasts, and the Stulbene hillfort with a dam.
Riga City Council plans to dedicate 40 thousand euros to a development concept for the quarter of the run-down Vidzeme or Matīss Market. This will make it possible to understand what kind of improvements and activities are needed in the market so that the place becomes pleasant again.
It is still unclear what to do with the Corner House and how.
Current events in cartoons