supplies of Russian grain to Latvia soared. Who is guilty?

Based on the results of January-March 2024, the total volumes of Russian grain exports to Latvia increased by 39.8 percent compared to the same period in 2023 and reached a level of 158.3 thousand tons. About it reports LSM with reference to statistical data from the State Revenue Service of the Republic (Valsts ieņēmumu dienests, VID).

For comparison, in the first three months of 2023, Russian farmers sent 113.2 thousand tons of grain to Latvia. Thus, in annual terms the figure soared by 45.1 thousand.

During this period, the volume of supplies of Russian corn to the European country increased by 26.5 percent in annual terms, and rye by 70.6 percent. At the same time, wheat, wheat-rye mixture and barley were not imported from the Russian Federation to Latvia. In general, in January-March, a total of 596.8 thousand tons of Russian grain (plus 78.9 percent) were transported in transit through the republic.

Despite the sharp increase in volumes, the income of Russian exporters from the supply of agricultural crops to Latvia in January-March 2024, on the contrary, decreased by 6.2 percent and dropped to a level of 27 million euros, the department specified.

Earlier, the head of the Latvian Ministry of Transport, Kaspars Briskens, made a proposal to completely ban the import of Russian grain into the territory of the European Union (EU). He also called for limiting the transit of these types of agricultural products from the Russian Federation through the republic to European countries.