Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze: “We must defend the right of consumers to be informed about the country of production of the product”

On Wednesday, April 3, the Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze met with representatives of the retail network SIA “Maxima Latvija” to discuss the most pressing issues in retail, including the availability of local products on store shelves.

“The most important task is to ensure the right of consumers to easily notice and know the countries of production of products. I have raised this issue several times and therefore the Ministry of Agriculture fully supports the Saeima’s initiative to amend the law, which provides for the requirement to indicate the country of production of the product on the price tags or on the product,” said Armands Krauze.

During the meeting, the two sides also discussed the report published by the Competition Council on the market of egg, fish, milk, meat, grain and bread products. The study concluded that on average a higher markup is applied to local production than to imported production. The Ministry of Agriculture is currently evaluating what changes in the legislation could ensure fair competition of Latvian products in stores and compliance with the European Green Course, while not violating the principles of the European free market.

“It is completely unacceptable that a higher markup is applied to local food products than to imported products. This is not only unfair to our country, but also does not comply with the policy of the European Union, which emphasizes short food chains and fresh, quality products. We must not impose a higher markup on food produced in Latvia than products that are transported over a longer distance and thus generate higher emissions,” said Armands Krauze.

Also, Armands Krauze called on traders to take into account that the sale of local products is the defense of their country’s interests. By selling local products, the national economy of Latvia is developed, and consumers are offered more choices when making their purchases.

During the meeting, both parties agreed to cooperate more closely, including holding regular meetings to jointly discuss current affairs, challenges and possible solutions with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, traders and food producers.

The minister will also continue talks with other trade networks about current events in the retail sector.

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