On November 4, the officially declared state of emergency in the agricultural sector of Latvia will end. But the Ministry of Agriculture, led by Armands Krauze (Union of Greens and Farmers), has already disseminated information indicating that "the sowing of winter crops is significantly delayed, raising concerns about the yield level for next year."
Both grain and winter crops have perished
The summer and early autumn were marked by a record amount of precipitation — on average, the norm was exceeded by 20%, in some rural regions, such as Gulbene, by 88%. "Grain fields over large areas were underwater, and in many places, it was impossible to tend to the crops at all." Both spring and winter cereals perished — "because there was a lack of oxygen in the soil and the microbiological processes were disrupted." "Due to all this, diseases spread and the fields remained untreated, thus yielding no harvest at all." In addition to grain production, potato farming was also affected.
The buckwheat harvest in Latvia fell the most in 2025 — by 29%.
The livestock sector was also impacted. Grazing livestock under such conditions was difficult, the grasses were damaged and trampled, so farms required additional financial resources for restoration or complete replanting of these grasses. At the same time, due to prolonged rains, the preparation of silage had not even begun in most farms. "All this will require additional expenses to ensure winter feed," summarized the Ministry of Agriculture.
5 kg from a hive
Latvian farmers suffered losses from May frosts, down to about minus 5 degrees, when flowering fruit trees and berry plantations were severely affected (April was warm, and for over a week, temperatures reached up to +28 degrees in some places). Despite the use of frost protection measures for plants, most farms in the fruit sector failed to protect their crops.
"It is worth noting that due to adverse weather conditions, the beekeeping sector also suffered significant losses," stated the agricultural department. The Latvian Beekeepers' Society reports that in 2025, some farms received only 5 kg from 1 hive — that is, on average, 10 times less than what a single bee colony usually produces. The worst situation was observed in Latgale.
By the end of September, the Rural Support Service had received data on 87,307 hectares of agricultural land affected by weather conditions. The preliminary estimate of losses amounts to 100,124,070 EUR. Of course, in the context of draconian austerity, obtaining such a substantial amount from the budget will be challenging.
However, the main lobbyists for the rural sector — the Union of Greens and Farmers (SZS) — are also holders of a golden share in the government; if they withdraw, the coalition collapses. Therefore, it seems that the desires of the agrarians will indeed be met. But what will happen to the food market against this backdrop, how prices in stores will jump up — this can only be speculated...
