Kaspars Ādams, a farmer and head of the Cattle Auction House, is interviewed by Māris Liopa, Chairman of LMSP, and Pauls Rēvelis, editor of zemeunvalsts.lv

I consider myself a biological farmer who thinks realistically and looks at the land and the countryside without fanatical blindness. I do not support the idea of a mandatory number or volume of natural meadows in hectares – let the Germans create those around Berlin! No, they insist we need them here too! The countries of Old Europe are in no rush to organise or create such things themselves, yet they certainly want us to. Why? So that photographers from various lands can come to Latvia to take beautiful photos? The pressure in this regard is certainly felt to be quite sudden, much like the case with the sugar factories, which were eventually liquidated. It was the same with fishing vessels. And? Why? It seems that we have a sufficiently strong agricultural sector in Latvia, and it is in someone's way, so it must be "pushed to the ground" so that we produce as little as possible. Is that in our interests? Certainly not!

Biological agriculture is a direction in which we, as a small country, can showcase ourselves and break through into the wider world: if we look at crop rotation, sow correctly and... think about nature so that it does not suffer, while we (farmers) are able to both produce and preserve nature!

If the European Union pays, and we are able to use and invest these funds so that the relevant processes develop and improve here, it must be taken advantage of.

It happens in our cattle breeding sector that breeders only think about how to get subsidies... and that is all. How to develop? What will you do next? What is it for... Yes, there are people who stop in their own and their farm's plans at the point of receiving subsidies!

I am changing my "farming course" this year – I will no longer keep beef cows, I will continue with cattle fattening.

How do we work? Every other week, we hold auctions. We export about 70–80% of Latvian cattle. For the last five years, we have been exporting one organic carcass shipment every week to Belgium or the Netherlands, which then head on to organic markets.

The auction house also takes conventionally raised cattle carcasses to Poland every week. The plans for this year also include the construction of a new fattening farm.

Recently (in early March), we founded a local farmers' cooperative. We plan to move into domestic and export markets with organic beef.

Europe with its conditions and our local petty squabbles... It is not simple – the people of Zemgale do not understand the people of Vidzeme, the people of Vidzeme do not understand the people of Kurzeme, the people of Latgale do not understand the people of Zemgale, and it all goes round in circles. 10 years ago, when I started dealing in cattle, I was naive and inexperienced, I explained, I argued... I have been involved in agriculture and animal husbandry since infancy, as this occupation has continued in our family for three generations. As a child, I went along with my parents, watching what happened on Latvian farms and how. My parents are still active on their farm, and I am developing mine in parallel.

Speaking of cattle trading, we still tend to encounter situations where "someone" (a person from the street, off the highway, from nowhere...) pulls into a farmer's yard, says the magic words "good price," drives the cattle into a truck and... then it begins: is the offered price with or without tax, are the scales working correctly... The cattle are taken away. Who did you give them to, who took them? I don't know. The "chasing of money" begins, until it is received (and that's if you get it!). Another thing – a neighbour tells a neighbour: I have successfully sold my cattle, there is good money coming. A month later, he asks – how much did you get? Nothing, still waiting... Neither money nor cattle... What does the second neighbour (the one who asked) do? He calls one, then another, they don't agree and... he sells (gives away) to the same buyers from whom the neighbour he mocked is waiting for money... "It's the best price!"

The situation I described is, unfortunately, real; we are where we are. Years have passed, but... the stories repeat. The situation in Latvia is regulated, there is an opportunity to choose who to give to and sell to, but no! It happens, it still happens.

People in Latvia often like to compare. Fine, let's take the Germans. You tell them the situation described above, and they would be unable to imagine it or even conceive of it. To them, it is a surprise!

If someone in Germany called and said: "I'm looking at the computer system and I see you have animals for sale!" "Wait, where are you looking and how are you seeing this?" That would be the first question.

With us, it happens that a calf just born, not yet dried and licked by its mother, has someone calling and asking if the owner will sell the calf in 12 days... The data is what it is... Another question is how the callers are with their sense of shame...

Working in cattle trading, I see various models and methods in life, including ones not taught at university. For example, 20 head of cattle are taken from an owner without payment. You call, you look for them, the buyer's phone is silent. After a while, the debtor suddenly appears and offers: we will pay you for the first 20 you gave us, but give us the next ones! That is how a certain chain begins...

It often seems that some farmers in Latvia even enjoy such activities because the blood starts pumping, and life becomes interesting. How do you explain the stubbornness of stepping on the same rake? You can explain, you can talk, but... In our auction house, we "keep" the scammers we know on our website. Furthermore, in conversations, I usually say – don't trust me straight away, don't bring the animals, but come over, see how we work. If you like it, you will bring them next time. Our work at the auctions has developed naturally; no one has been coerced.

These unpleasant matters, unfortunately, do not change.

Regional reform

The reform is welcome, provided it is well executed! In 2009, after the previous reform, I ran in the elections in Nereta Municipality and also worked on the Council to which I was elected. An important slogan at that time was: "There will be less bureaucracy!" Excellent, but... What happened? "You vote for me, be with me, let's work together, I won't liquidate the parishes, we will keep the spots, you and you will have a place." That is the downside of Latvia: "we are so intertwined and wrapped around each other and others that we cannot get free." At the same time, it is both good and bad if we don't want to "do anything" to each other. In Nereta Municipality, bureaucracy did not decrease. For example, I went to Mazzalve Parish: "No, we can't decide this or that! Drive to Nereta!" Really? Peace and quiet in the parish house? ...but in the parish, in the municipality, in the institution, people have jobs. Wait, wait! If we were a major oil-exporting power or something similar, please! But in the local environment, correct actions are often turned in the opposite direction, forgetting that in a comfortable place, many senses atrophy. If you are an active person, you will not be left without work! In many places in Europe and also in Latvia, people travel 80–100 or even more kilometres to work; they travel from Nereta to Riga, from Cēsis to Smiltene. But many still believe: if there is no work within a 5 km radius, then there isn't any... Is that so? 28 people work for me, most of them travel 30–35 km. Locals. If you are smart, conscientious and reasonable, you can find work in Latvia!

When people were "making a fuss" about the regional reform in the area, they invited me to participate too: "Kaspar, sit in the tractor, drive, object, protest!" The reason? Things will be bad in Aizkraukle Municipality. What exactly will be bad? Ratings will change, for example, the school will need a larger number of students, there will be more serious requirements... Again... the problem is seen in the fact that more serious and higher-quality work will be required. I look at the reform neutrally; I only need to go to the municipal centre for work once a year. Everything happens electronically, there is an electronic signature. Riga is closer to me than Jēkabpils, to Aizkraukle it's about 50 km, and the road there through Taurkalne and Jaunjelgava was recently impassable. A bus from Bauska to Aizkraukle runs along it... You can still get stuck on the road. That is where we should start – with repairs!

On my farm, I manage about 400 ha of land, part of which is currently in Vecumnieki Municipality, part in Nereta Municipality (in the future, it will be in Bauska and Aizkraukle municipalities, respectively). I agree: we live at the border of the "old" municipalities now, in the future we will live... at the border of the newly formed municipalities, but – we were and will be in Sēlija. We are cattle farmers, most of the land we own is grassland, and I have been involved in grain farming myself for two years.

Looking at and evaluating my work, I want to do good with it. Of course, business itself is a benefit. But I want to do good for the industry and for Latvia; the cattle auction house helps to sort out the industry, as I mentioned before, everything happens openly and understandably. You can see, participate and understand it yourself. Development in the industry is stimulated precisely through participation. Which farm has a bad bull? None! Bring it, look, compare! We have a good "background." About 1000–1200 animals at each auction; look for yourself whether your bull fits in, stands out or gets lost in the background... It happens that the owner looks... and wonders...

Entering the barn, look, choose what you will buy. A slim, slender, "skin and bones" animal, or one that is well-fleshed where you can see potential. Probably the second. So... step by step, farmers who want to learn and understand "give in to the situation." A farmer who started working not so long ago comes to me, brings his animals, and after the auction asks: "What do you think, Kaspar, why did mine do so poorly?" Let's go and look! The farmer praises: "Look, what a big round belly the bull has..." Like Winnie the Pooh... But the bottom... nothing. Weak... I say: "Nobody looks at the belly, but they do look at the animal's overall form!"

We are the only auction house in the Baltic states. 99% of cattle are exported. People come to buy cattle from us from Israel, Poland, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia.

The future of Latvian farming

In my opinion, many things or topics in Latvia are completely unnecessarily mixed up. I emphasise – unnecessarily mixed up! One – we have missed a lot. When, for example, we needed to support small and medium-sized farmers, there was no such support. The large ones became larger, the small ones became fewer and became "even smaller," and the medium-sized ones are struggling. This is an inevitable economic model that cannot be stopped or halted – the big ones tend to buy the small ones. That is how it happens! What can we do?

Talking with one large farmer or another, I hear that they do not need subsidies. The thought is not popular, but... As I already mentioned, I often hear: "Subsidy money comes in, let it come! I'm in the plus anyway." But how to develop small and medium farmers, how to stir up rural habitation? I consider myself a medium-sized farmer. I recently took part in a competition for land rent: an owner of 2–3 thousand ha closes their eyes, raises a hand and outbids. Me? I calculate, count, recalculate. The price at auctions increases 3–4 times above the standard price. "The big one takes it" and that's it! If an additional 10 or 50 ha is a lot for me, for the big one, they are like a small patch of sorrel in the backyard.

Succession. If you have lived in a family where you watch from childhood: every evening parents come home, boots caked in manure, hands cracked, and they curse their work, life, and the country... and you hear this story for 10–15 years, you see mud by the house, cobblestones or asphalt around the school... You, logically, do not want to live in the countryside. Perhaps that is why many leave the countryside "not for Riga, which dazzles," but "away from the rural atmosphere." If you are young and have such an opportunity – get out!

Agriculture is risky, difficult and hard, but at the same time – there is no business without risk. Simply none! Agriculture today is "connected" to phones and computers; as time goes on, digital tools will become a given for all farmers. I look at my sons, I think, if I had a computer and a phone 24 years ago, I doubt I would have played hide-and-seek with the neighbourhood boys; it's a different era now. One must teach and encourage the younger generation to read, to talk outside of text messages or WhatsApp, and show the path to the future. What do I do? My wife and I dedicate a lot of time to our sons, we do a lot ourselves. My sons, aged five and two, are looked after by a nanny from Germany who works in an exchange programme in Latvia. She speaks German with them daily, the boys watch cartoons in English. We, the parents, speak English with the nanny, but Latvian daily, of course. I hope that business will be close to my sons, and the German language will be necessary. They will learn English more seriously at school. There it is!

Buildings from wood

I like wood as a building material very much, not only for the office but also in the construction of barns. When building the office, we collaborated with the company "Dore".

The goal – one and specific

In agriculture and Latvian politics, one understandable (elementary) thing is missing – a goal! Where are we going, what do we want to achieve, not in phrases, but in actions? For example, what are the targets by agricultural sector?! One should, for example, define them by sector and, once they are achieved, everything above the specified amount (volume – cattle, crops, or hectares) receives less support. In my opinion, such a goal or plan is necessary for our own understanding and clarity. In a conversation with an Estonian colleague, I heard that in the neighbouring country, 60% of the food basket for kindergartens and schools consists of products from local biological producers. That is a rule, a law, and real support for locals. In Latvia, it is said to be expensive... Is it? Go into a shop and look! The price difference is in the tens of cents, not in multiples. An elementary requirement! Little by little, there would be more biological producers, they would cooperate, collaborate, and we would all be winners. The snowball is ready; it just needs to be rolled further.

They invite me to go into politics, to which I respond that I can give more benefit to Latvia through work, business and paid taxes than by sitting and... There are many opinions in society, and today everyone can express them digitally 24 hours a day, but if there are so many smart alecks, they can go into politics themselves and prove themselves, fight for their vision... but, of course, of course, it is easier to write.

There are few people in politics with business experience

That is true! ...but that is not a reproach. The next step would be: reduce the number of bureaucrats by x, the number of deputies by y, but pay those who we need a substantial salary! Seeing this opportunity, one can set a goal for oneself in politics, go there and work, not just sit it out. If an entrepreneur works, a politician and bureaucrat must also work! If police officers and judges were paid large, adequate salaries, there would be less desire to influence them from behind the scenes, and we, as a society, would accordingly have fewer "miracles," injustices and surprises.

One should act harshly against specific occurrences so that they no longer seem attractive to anyone, for example, tax fraud over 100 thousand. In my opinion, it should be done so that those who want to commit it have trembling hands... A normal citizen, reading stories about how various events are rephrased in legal language, has wide eyes and a dropped jaw. What should be achieved? That whatever happens around, let them talk, let them go wild, but one must move towards the chosen goal! The country needs to earn money so that there is money for teachers, roads, police officers, firefighters, doctors, etc. One can borrow, but for how long? There is talk about billions that need to be paid back, that don't need to be, but – who and when will pay it all back? Debt is no friend, and nothing happens for free; you have to pay for everything! Even if it is just a clear and understandable thing for everyone – we do not want to work for free! Do we? Do we like it if we are cheated? We don't!

About Latvia

I am very annoyed by Latvians who are able to "put down" their country. The country is made up of people. I see the benefit I give by working, giving work to others, earning and paying taxes, developing my industry, hoping for the continuation of my work. It is even more annoying to hear whining from those who already live abroad, who come back and start lamenting: "Look, houses have collapsed, people have left, look how bad it is, look how terrible..." If you don't like it, get out! Or change it all, be active and work. Join a political force, convince others. I will say, in my opinion, the problem of the country being bad is whipped up like a soufflé: there aren't many whiners, but what they express is broadcast as a widespread opinion. I think discussion on what to do if you don't like something is poorly developed in Latvia. There are opportunities to go many places, even China, instead of sitting here and moaning. Surely there is a chance to find somewhere better.

This is OUR country, OUR culture and OUR lifestyle, and we give you the opportunity to enjoy it, to live together with US. Language – it is like a root for trees and like life for a country.

One thing though: elsewhere, where "it is better" to live in another country, they will likely not allow you to treat the country in which you live like that. There, you have to be able to speak their language, without unnecessary discussions – WHY.

It happens that people call me and start the conversation in Russian. What language are you speaking to me in? Where do we live? The question is dragged out, stretched... Don't waste my time! This is Latvia! It has happened that one person or another cannot explain something, but they find a neighbour to help, and the conversation goes successfully enough. That is how, step by step, I try to teach people to talk in Latvian if it causes problems. An important rule for an entrepreneur is contacts and conversations. I open my eyes in the morning and I am already in the work process. How many entrepreneurs do we have in Latvia? I don't envy journalists who look for people to talk to, and at one point you have to start from the beginning because you have already spoken to everyone at least once.
Photos by Kaspars Ādams and zemeunvalsts.lv used. Diploma and certificate of appreciation from the Kaspars Ādams family archive