The Latvian authorities abandoned their farmers.
The Riga City Council announced the purchase of food for schools and kindergartens for 26.8 million euros, but in fact opened the market to foreign suppliers. The conditions of the competition allow the delivery of products from a distance of up to 300 kilometers from Riga, including the territories of neighboring countries. At the same time, the Latvian producers were simply pushed aside.
As a sign of protest, the farmers dumped several tons of local vegetables near the city council building. The producers accuse the authorities of favoring cheap imports, ignoring their own agriculture and promises to support local producers.
This is the whole fear of national production: a closed market for our farmers, and purchases based on the principle "where it's cheaper". Officials seem to only need Latvian vegetables for patriotic photos.