On May 15, 2026, experts from the State Plant Protection Service met with German experts on environmental protection, nature conservation, consumer protection, agriculture, forestry and rural development. The main objective of the meeting was to exchange experience regarding soil and soil data.
The German colleagues were briefed on the project “Enhancement of sustainable soil resource management in agriculture” (E2SOILAGRI), which was successfully completed two years ago. The discussion covered what had been achieved as part of the project and how its results are now being used in practice to improve soil management. The project results and the work carried out under it also provide important support for the implementation and application of the Directive on soil monitoring and resilience.
Deputy Director of the State Plant Protection Service V. Ezers and Director of the Agrochemical Department L. Leitāns shared experience regarding the Agricultural Land Management System, which aggregates soil analysis data on one third of Latvia’s agricultural land and is also one of the first governmental information systems integrated with field history systems offered by the private sector. Data from distributors of plant protection products will soon be integrated into the Agricultural Land Management System, making it easier for farmers to keep records of plant protection products. Information technology specialists at the State Plant Protection Service continue to develop the system in cooperation with farmers, taking into account their needs and proposals.
The German delegation was most interested in opportunities for data exchange and reducing the administrative burden on farmers, especially the principle of submiting data one time only.
