From 25 to 27 February, Minister for Agriculture Armands Krauze visited Israel on a working visit together with a delegation of Latvian entrepreneurs. During the visit, meetings were held with Israeli officials, representatives of scientific institutions and business people, with the aim of expanding export opportunities for Latvian products and developing closer cooperation in agriculture, food production, education and science.

Minister for Agriculture Armands Krauze: “We travelled to Israel together with Latvian entrepreneurs in order to assess on the spot what export opportunities this market offers our producers, to learn about the latest technological solutions in agriculture and to discuss specific steps for cooperation. Joint trips of this kind are an effective tool for identifying new export markets and building practical contacts. Our goal is to ensure that food produced in Latvia is increasingly recognised around the world as reliable, safe and of high quality.”

During the visit, particular attention was paid to the importance of the latest agricultural technologies in developing a competitive and crisis-resilient sector, as well as to food security issues in complex geopolitical circumstances. Export opportunities for Latvian food producers in Israel were also discussed. In this market, Latvian food producers have the potential to offer high value-added niche products – organic food, frozen and processed berries, fish and dairy products. Israel offers not only a market with high purchasing power, but also strategic opportunities to expand cooperation in other regions.

Lauris Apsis, co-owner of SIA “Blue Circle”: “The trip was extremely valuable. At the Netter innovation centre we learned how ideas are developed and commercialised in Israel. At the Volcani institute we discussed Israel's vision for the development of aquaculture up to 2050, and we also talked about the spread of bee parasites and human influence on this process. Study trips of this kind are important for building contacts, both among the participants and with international partners.”

Latvia was represented on the visit by agricultural and food sector entrepreneurs and organisations – the cooperative society “Latvijas Piensaimnieku Centrālā Savienība”, the cooperative society “Vidzemes BIO āboli un ogas”, AS “Jaunpils pienotava”, SIA “Blue Circle”, ZM “Zilūži”, as well as representatives of education and science institutions from Bulduru Tehnikums and the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies.