This year, the "Milk and Fruits for Schools" program, under which kindergarten and school students receive free milk, fruits, and vegetables, will cover nearly 254,000 children in more than 1,200 educational institutions, public media report.
However, due to the poor harvest, farmers and suppliers of school meal services are worried whether the most popular products will last until the end of the school year.
At Valmiera Primary School, before the lunch break, milk packets and apples are neatly laid out on each table, and these are the first to disappear.
"Our observations show that milk and fruits are in high demand - almost nothing is left on the tables after lunch," says school director Martins Vetters.
At the farm "Pīlādži", which has been supplying fruits to schools for many years, the harvest this year is significantly lower. While nearly 200 tons of apples and pears were harvested last year, this year there are only about 50 tons, and according to the contract, the company is supposed to supply fruits to about 70 educational institutions across the country.
"Some of the schools we usually serve are being supplied this time by others - colleagues from the cooperative who have more orchards and a better harvest," said farm owner Janis Zilvers.
The company "Fristar", which provides meal services for 50 schools in Riga, Valmiera, and other cities, notes that the consequences of the poor harvest are felt, and there are concerns whether the company will be able to guarantee supplies of fruits and milk in the new year.
"According to farmers, they will be able to provide products until December. What will happen next until the end of the school year is still hard to say," says company representative Katrina Sakalauska.
If any of the farmers are unable to fulfill their obligations under the program, other Latvian producers with larger fruit supplies will be involved in the deliveries.
