Agriculture

Lithuania has sent its first shipment of meat products to the United States, Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius said on Tuesday.

Lithuania has received certificates from China, allowing the country's dairy producers to export their products to Asia's biggest market.

The Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, Friday struck down a controversial piece of legislation adopted a week ago to regulate milk prices.

The European Commission considers providing additional financial support to milk producers in Lithuania and other European Union’s (EU) countries as well as distributing advance payments, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan says.

Lithuania’s Prime Minister is to meet with EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan, who is visiting Lithuania today, to discuss the situation in the Lithuanian dairy sector.

European Union Commissioner for agriculture Phil Hogan is coming to Lithuania to take part in the Baltic agriculture show AgroBalt 2016 in Kaunas this week.

The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has decided to temporarily set a minimum price for raw milk purchased by processors from dairy farmers. The price controls will remain in effect until 1 January 2017.

About 3,000 dairy farmers are planning to rally outside the Ministry of Agriculture in Vilnius next week, demanding government assistance amidst collapsing milk prices.

Farmers from across the Baltic States have written to the EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan asking the European Union to provide compensation for losses incurred by them in the last year.

The Lithuanian government is planning to soften the requirements for foreign nationals to purchase agricultural land.

Lithuania’s Agriculture Minister has submitted a request to the European Commission for an additional €75 million in EU funding to support the dairy sector in Lithuania.

The polish dairy industry has ambitions to win over a significant part of the Lithuanian dairy product market with increased promotion of a range of products in the country.

Over the last decade, Lithuanians' dietary tastes have undergone a major shift and that reflects changes in society as much as changes in taste.

Milk producers being hit by significant losses are calling for resignation of the Minister of Agriculture and say in the absence of government support, they will bring cows into the centre of Vilnius in protest by the end of March.

Stepping up the the fight against African swine flu, Lithuanian authorities have said all wild boars in Lithuanian forests will have to be counted by the end of February.

Lithuania may soon be able to export its dairy products to China as the country is due to receive certificates that allows entry of its dairy products into Chinese markets.

Lithuania is the fourth biggest direct exporter to the Belarusian market and the leader among EU countries, according to the latest figures.

Belarus has lifted the ban on Lithuanian companies shipping fish products into the country, according to Lithuania’s chief veterinary officer.