From 8 to 12 June 2026, a training and exchange visit by a delegation from the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection took place in Latvia as part of the grant project “Improving the Phytosanitary System in Ukraine”, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.
The aim of the visit was to introduce the participants to Latvian and European Union practice in the production of certified seed and plant propagating material, quality assurance, marketing and movement, and sustainable agriculture, as well as to provide practical insight into how the seed certification and plant propagating material production systems operate. On this basis, the colleagues from Ukraine were introduced to the requirements of European Union legislation in the fields of plant health and the production of plant propagating material.
To introduce the Ukrainian experts to examples of best practices in Latvia, several local farms and companies were visited, including:
- the seed production complex of “Dotnuva Baltic” in Iecava, where the colleagues were shown the production process for certified agricultural seed, quality control systems, seed preparation for the market, and the organisation of exports to the Baltic States and other European Union Member States;
- Andris Grantiņš’ farm “Eriņi”, where the participants were told how the full seed production process is ensured on the farm;
- company “Scandagra Latvia”, where presentations were given on the supply of agricultural inputs, the organisation of grain trade, and the marketing and movement of seed in the European Union single market;
- Zaiga Apse’s farm “Liepas”, where the participants saw how plant propagating material is produced and inspected, as well as the procedure for obtaining and attaching plant passports and labels;
- the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment “BIOR”, where the participants were introduced to procedures for the testing and control of genetically modified organisms (GMO).
