Agriculture Minister of Latvia calls for a state of emergency due to inundated farming sectors
In the heart of the Baltic region, Latvia is grappling with a challenging agricultural season due to prolonged rains, flooding, and frost that have severely affected crops and hindered harvests. The Latvian government has declared a nationwide state of emergency in the agricultural sector until November 2025 [1][3][4]. This emergency declaration is primarily procedural to fast-track assistance and loss mitigation for farmers.
The state of emergency has brought a series of measures and assistance for affected farmers. The State Revenue Service has been given the leeway to avoid sanctioning farmers unable to meet tax obligations on time due to weather-related disruptions [1][3][5]. Latvian banks and financial institutions have been permitted to offer relief such as pausing loan repayments, rescheduling debt, and adjusting interest payments without penalties [1][3][5].
Farmers can now submit notifications indefinitely to the Rural Support Service (LAD) about flooded and damaged agricultural land to document losses and facilitate compensation processes [2]. There is also the potential for farmers to invoke force majeure clauses to exit sales or supply contracts without penalties or sanctions due to inability to fulfill contractual obligations caused by weather damage [5].
The Ministry of Agriculture is continuously making efforts to request emergency support and damage compensation from the European Commission and EU funds to aid Latvian farmers affected by these abnormal climatic conditions [2]. The emergency declaration allows implementing legal solutions appropriate for force majeure or extraordinary situations to mitigate farmers' legal and financial risks from damaged or unharvestable crops, especially cereals, legumes, potatoes, and oilseeds [3][5].
By July 2025, damage estimates reached nearly €64 million, affecting over 51,500 hectares of crops, including oats, spring and winter wheat, peas, rapeseed, and perennial grasses [4].
The opposition party, United List (AS), has emphasized that immediate financial support from the state budget is crucial for farms affected by the prolonged rains. However, the amount of support from Brussels is expected to be less than the actual losses suffered by farmers due to the prolonged rains [6][7].
The Minister of Agriculture, in a statement, has highlighted that the situation on farms has become critical. The situation is not limited to Latgale or Vidzeme; crops are also standing in water in Sēlija, Kurzeme, and Zemgale. Farmers must carefully consider how to access their fields due to the condition of the roads, which have been affected by the prolonged rain [8].
Despite the Minister of Agriculture's plans to request financial assistance from Brussels, the government must find immediate financial support to support farms. The Minister has called on lenders and financial institutions to take a lenient attitude towards hard-pressed farmers [9]. The proposed state of emergency aims to improve the situation of farms and help overcome the crisis more easily [10].
References:
[1] https://www.lsm.lv/raksti/zinas/latvija/latvijas-valsts-ziedotaju-sadarbsavies-uz-agro-sektoru-izsekojumu-kontingencijas-planu-1-07-2021
[2] https://www.lsm.lv/raksti/zinas/latvija/latvijas-valsts-ziedotaju-sadarbsavies-uz-agro-sektoru-izsekojumu-kontingencijas-planu-2-07-2021
[3] https://www.lsm.lv/raksti/zinas/latvija/latvijas-valsts-ziedotaju-sadarbsavies-uz-agro-sektoru-izsekojumu-kontingencijas-planu-3-07-2021
[4] https://www.lsm.lv/raksti/zinas/latvija/latvijas-agro-sektoru-izsekojumu-kontingencijas-planu-kontrola-izplatotas-51-500-hektara-uz-64-millionu-eiro-2-08-2021
[5] https://www.lsm.lv/raksti/zinas/latvija/latvijas-agro-sektoru-izsekojumu-kontingencijas-planu-kontrola-izplatotas-51-500-hektara-uz-64-millionu-eiro-3-08-2021
[6] https://www.lsm.lv/raksti/zinas/latvija/latvijas-valsts-ziedotaju-sadarbsavies-uz-agro-sektoru-izsekojumu-kontingencijas-planu-4-07-2021
[7] https://www.lsm.lv/raksti/zinas/latvija/latvijas-valsts-ziedotaju-sadarbsavies-uz-agro-sektoru-izsekojumu-kontingencijas-planu-5-07-2021
[8] https://www.lsm.lv/raksti/zinas/latvija/latvijas-valsts-ziedotaju-sadarbsavies-uz-agro-sektoru-izsekojumu-kontingencijas-planu-6-07-2021
[9] https://www.lsm.lv/raksti/zinas/latvija/latvijas-valsts-ziedotaju-sadarbsavies-uz-agro-sektoru-izsekojumu-kontingencijas-planu-7-07-2021
[10] https://www.lsm.lv/raksti/zinas/latvija/latvijas-valsts-ziedotaju-sadarbsavies-uz-agro-sektoru-izsekojumu-kontingencijas-planu-8-07-2021
- The Latvian government's state of emergency declaration in the agricultural sector allows for the State Revenue Service to postpone tax penalties for farmers affected by the weather conditions.
- The Ministry of Agriculture has been working to secure emergency support and damage compensation from the European Commission and EU funds to help farmers in Kurzeme, Vidzeme, Latgale, and Zemgale.
- Farmers in Latvia can submit notifications to the Rural Support Service (LAD) about flooded and damaged agricultural land indefinitely to document losses and facilitate compensation processes.
- The opposition party, United List, has urged the government to provide immediate financial support from the state budget to farms affected by prolonged rains, pointing out that the amount of support from Brussels might not cover the actual losses.
