On Friday, 19 September, Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze organised an expert trip to the forest to give journalists and other interested parties a closer look at Latvia's forestry processes and everyday challenges.
Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze: “Together with scientists, professors, experts and forest sector professionals, we visited several places in the Latvian forest so as to become acquainted with the work of the forest sector in the company of specialists. In conversations with foresters and representatives of the wood processing industry, we discussed what measures are needed for Latvia's forest sector to become stronger, more innovative and more competitive in the future, both in the Baltics and across Europe. The insights gained in these discussions confirm that everyone working in the sector cares for the forest, its preservation, sustainable development and nature conservation with a sense of responsibility and a long-term outlook, in both commercial forests and protected forests.”
The main topic of discussion at the event was how to reconcile climate challenges and economic growth in the work of the forest sector. Experts stressed that sustainable forestry involves not only nature conservation, but also adapting forestry to new challenges, such as increasingly frequent storms and a greater spread of pests. Effective and sustainable forestry therefore requires regulation suited to the present situation, which gives foresters the opportunity to respond more promptly and to plan their activities according to circumstances.
Director of the Forest Department of the Ministry of Agriculture Dr. silv. Āris Jansons: “Storms, ever more favourable conditions for pests and other factors are increasingly affecting forestry activity. At present, in a large proportion of the forest, the quality of the trees has declined substantially because of weather conditions or pests before they reach the age at which felling is permitted. Foresters have to be able to adapt to today's challenges. To do so, we need to make greater use of the opportunities offered by the breeding of our own tree species and to be able to plan forestry activity promptly, so that in the end we are able to obtain more high-quality assortments that industry can use to make products, and to store carbon in them.”
The event was attended by experts from AS “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM), including Board Member Dr. silv. Dagnis Dubrovskis, Board Member Jānis Krūmiņš, Director of Forest Resource Management Ģirts Abizārs and Vilmārs Katkovskis, Head of the Rietumvidzeme Forest Management Planning Region, as well as representatives of the Forest Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and of non-governmental organisations.