The share of local milk in Latvian stores has remained largely unchanged since the signing of a food price memorandum last May, according to Jānis Šolks, chairman of the Central Union of Latvian Dairy Farmers.
Since the signing of the food price memorandum in Latvia last May, Jānis Šolks, the chairman of the Central Union of Latvian Dairy Farmers, has reported that the proportion of local milk in stores has not significantly changed. This highlights an ongoing concern for the Latvian dairy industry, as local retailers continue to rely heavily on imported milk and dairy products. The lack of growth in local milk sales is a troubling figure when compared to neighboring Estonia, where local milk constitutes 90% of the milk sold, versus Latvia’s 50%.
Sholks noted that while there has been a minor increase in some dairy product categories favoring local products since the memorandum's signing, the overall volume of local fresh milk sales has remained stagnant. Alarmingly, even the sales volume of locally produced cheese in Latvia has experienced a decline. This stagnation raises questions about the effectiveness of the memorandum itself and its impact on supporting local dairy production and sales.
Despite expectations for more substantial changes following the memorandum's implementation, the current situation illustrates significant challenges facing Latvia’s dairy sector, as continued reliance on imports could threaten the sustainability of local farmers. Sholks' comments suggest that more robust measures may be needed to elevate the share of domestic milk in the marketplace and strengthen the local dairy industry's competitiveness against imported products.
