On September 28th and 29th, State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Ģirts Krūmiņš will participate in the meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels, where Member States will discuss both the current market challenges and issues related to the future of agriculture and fisheries.
The Irish Presidency is preparing for a partial agreement at EU Council level on the funding conditions for the Common Fisheries Policy for the 2027–2034 financial period, which Latvia generally views positively.
The meeting will also address the current market situation in the EU, which remains difficult. The storm in August and the subsequent rainfall caused damage to agricultural crops, with spring wheat, oats, beans and peas among the most affected. According to forecasts, Latvia’s total grain harvest in 2026 will amount to around three million tonnes, 4% less than in 2025. Production costs in agriculture also remain high – in the second quarter of 2026, they were on average 43% higher than in the pre-crisis period of 2019–2021. In addition, transit flows of Russian and Belarusian grain via EU transport infrastructure and ports are currently increasing significantly.
The Council will also discuss the conditions, control mechanisms and implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2027. An agreement at EU Council level could be reached at the meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in October.