Agriculture

Grain market analyst Tadas Povilauskas of the Lithuanian agricultural companies' Group Litagra says that grain price may continue to fall due to both good harvests and competition of alternative cultures grown by Australian and South American cultivators.

The law legalizing ritual slaughter of livestock, which was passed by the Seimas, the Lithuanian parliament, has attracted controversy. While the local Jewish Community of Lithuania welcomed the law, animal rights activists said they will turn to the European Commission.

The Lithuanian parliament has legalized the ritual slaughter of livestock in a move that is expected to help farmers hit by Russia's food import ban to sell their production to Muslim markets.

Record-breaking Post-Panamax category containership Piera left Klaipėda Seaport on Wednesday and is heading to Iran. It was loaded with the record amount of Lithuanian export grain - the biggest in the history of Klaipėda Seaport.

Chief Analyst at DNB bank Indrė Genytė-Pikčienė says that meat exporters will face greater damage from the Russian food imports embargo, whereas dairy producers have accumulated considerable financial reserves to get through this difficult period.

Unlike some members of the ruling majority, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius does not see any possibilities to introduce VAT exemptions for meat next year.

A new outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) has been detected on a small farm in the eastern Lithuanian district of Ignalina, some 1.5 kilometres from the border with Belarus, the State Food and Veterinary Service said on Monday.

Russia is encouraging consumption of domestically produced goods and is seeking to diversify imports from countries not covered by its import embargo, Lithuania's ambassador to Moscow said on Wednesday, adding that food product prices in Russia have already increased 5-6 percent and are set to rise ...

MP Kazys Starkevičius of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), shadow agriculture minister, says that the action plan for 2014-2015, prepared by the Ministry of Economy and approved by the Government, which seeks to reduce losses of Lithuanian companies due to Russian trade san...

Government officials and representatives of dairy processing industry have agreed that, in August, milk produced in Lithuania will be bought-in and the price will not be reduced by more than 12 percent, i.e., by approximately LTL 0.10 (EUR 0.03) per litre.

According to the calculations of Agriculture Minister Virginija Baltraitienė, losses of Lithuanian dairy and meat producers may possibly amount to LTL 500 million (EUR 145 million), because of food product embargo imposed by Russia.

The Government has not approved the proposal to use budget funds to partially compensate dairy and meat producers' losses suffered due to Russia's embargo on food imports.

A mandatory requirement has been announced in Lithuania to register all pigs by 15 September. Registration will be free of charge.

The European Commission will cover losses incurred by Lithuanian agricultural producers because they cannot sell perishable products due to Russia's ban on fruit and vegetable imports.

Lithuanian companies have refused to take part in Golden Autumn, a traditional autumn food show in Moscow in October, as Russia has slapped sanctions on the imports of agriculture and food products. However, some businesspeople will go to another exhibition, World Food Moscow, the Verslo Žinios busi...

The European Commission allows Lithuania to provide only small aid to its food producers hit by Russian sanctions. However, the EC will separately assess the country's situation, the Lithuanian Agriculture Ministry said on Thursday.

In wake of Russia's embargo on dairy imports from Europe, Latvia's Food Union food group will reduced the price of its dairy products for the local market by up to 30%, with the aim of selling more of its products in Latvia and supporting Latvian farmers, writes LETA.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius said on Wednesday that VAT rates on agricultural products will not be reduced.

The State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) reports that dead pigs were found in two farms located in Ignalina district. Laboratory testing confirmed African swine fever (ASF) in both cases.

Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Loreta Graužinienė says she has reservations about cutting value added tax (VAT) rate for vegetables and meat. According to the head of Parliament, only retailers would benefit from VAT rate exemptions, while producers and consumers would not.