“Recent years have shown that the risks caused by the weather for crops are becoming more and more unpredictable. For example, the kind of large-grain hail we experienced last summer had not been seen in Latvia for a hundred years,” explains Lazdiņš, adding that, despite unpredictable weather conditions, he insures his crops only about 30% of farms.
He also emphasizes that it is not right to rely on and hope for compensations provided by the state, if it is possible for the owner to insure his own crops. “Those farmers who do not take out insurance are gambling with a very high stake, because often the future of the entire farm is at stake,” says Lazdiņš.
The association also states that although the unstable weather in winter causes losses almost every year, last year and this year the highest compensation threshold was reached since 2014, when 90% of all winter houses in the entire territory of Latvia froze.
Taking into account that farmers can report losses caused by wintering conditions until April 30, the amount of damages may still increase, the association notes.
Association “Zemnieku saeima” is an organization of farmers founded in 1999. The members of the association are 800 small and large farms from all over Latvia. Together, the members manage more than 500,000 hectares of agricultural land and employ more than 4,000 workers on farms.
