The Ministry of Agriculture expresses its bewilderment regarding incorrect and false statements made about Latvian farmers in a radio broadcast, which were financially supported by the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development.

Head of the Minister of Agriculture's Office Jānis Eglīts: “This attempt to pit Latvian farmers against the Latvian public is highly dishonest and untruthful. Every Latvian farmer and rural entrepreneur who produces agricultural goods, provides food for the population, creates jobs for residents in the regions, and contributes to state tax revenue is of immense value to Latvia. We cannot understand how such claims, which pit a vital branch of the Latvian economy – agriculture – against society, can be supported with state budget funds, as the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund has done. Agricultural and food security is one of the guarantees of national security, and if the efforts and contributions of farmers are disparaged, it could also threaten national security. If Latvian farmers and producers stop producing agricultural goods and food, domestic food products will not be available to residents in stores, and the country will become dependent on foreign supplies. In the view of the Ministry of Agriculture, this is under no circumstances acceptable. The Ministry of Agriculture calls on the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development to evaluate whether such advertisements, which divide Latvian society, are supportable, and to review the purposes for which the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund allocates state budget funding.”

Agriculture and food production are essential sectors in the Latvian economy, providing the country's population with safe and healthy food in a wide range, employing thousands of people in Latvian rural regions and cities, and making a significant contribution to the Latvian economy. In 2020, the share of products produced by the food, agriculture, and fisheries sectors reached 23.1% of the total value of Latvian exports. Since 2010, the value of agricultural production has grown by 78%, reaching 1.54 billion euros per year in 2020. Furthermore, over the last 10 years, through the return of agricultural land (AL) to production, the total area of AL has increased by 9%, reaching 1.97 million ha in 2020.