Lithuanian farmers lit protest fires on the roadsides on Monday, January 8, and invited Latvian counterparts who have very similar problems to join the campaign.
Agricultural machinery and fires, to which clusters of people gather - a scene like this was seen on many of Lithuania's roadsides on Monday. In response, Latvian farmers also lit fires on Monday.
Farmers in the vicinity of Dobele municipality said that if Lithuania increases excise duty on gas, which is also used in the production of mineral fertilizers, the already expensive mineral fertilizers will be almost at gold price.
“Because we are from the border, what happens in Lithuania will affect us as well. The increase in the price of gas in Lithuania may have an impact on the price of nitrogen. We're concerned about what the price of nitrogen will be in the spring. The burden of bureaucracy is also high for us,“ said agronomist Anita Lešinska of the farming cooperative “Dāmnieki.”
Like Lithuanian farmers, Latvians demand an end to imports of grain from Russia.
“Our ports are full of Russian grain, but we have a grain warehouse just across us, with 600 tons of grain standing, which has not been bought because right now no one accepts it,” Lešinska noted.
A fire was also lit a few kilometers away towards Penkule, on the farm “Māliņi”.
“Mineral fertilizer costs very much and grains cost nothing. And it's getting to the point we can't make ends meet anymore,” said Ainārs Miķelsons, the owner of the farmhouse Māliņi.
