V.Buivydas: a change in the direction of agricultural support is necessary

Ahead of the second meeting of the Food Council, Vytautas Buivydas, Vice-Chairman of the Lithuanian Young Farmers and Youth (LYYFY), stresses the need for a fundamental review of the priorities of the agricultural policy and the principles of the distribution of European Union funds in Lithuania.

According to Mr Buivydas, today's situation reveals a fundamental imbalance: In Lithuania, certain agricultural sectors, in particular grain farming, have reached overproduction – the country produces 2–3 times more grain than is needed for domestic consumption. At the same time, the production of other food staples such as vegetables, fruit, berries and livestock is not self-sufficient and shortages are compensated for by imports.

„Imports do not offer a better price to the consumer and raise quality issues. This shows that the current system is not sustainable," Buivydas stresses.

Critical problem: support for overproduction

Cereal farms in Lithuania currently receive the largest share of EU subsidies. This means that public money is largely spent on surplus production, which does not contribute directly to food security or to price stability on the internal market.

V. Buivydas provides a clear roadmap for changing the direction of support so that agriculture can make a real contribution to Lithuania's food security and consumer welfare:

Redistribute support: reduce incentives for overproduction and invest in the production of missing, vital foodstuffs such as vegetables, fruit, berries, meat and dairy products.

Incentivise processing: focus surplus cereals on the production of higher value-added products by strengthening the livestock sector.

Developing short supply chains: increase the share of local production in the public sector – schools, hospitals, army supplies.

Ensure national food security: Prioritise the adequate production of staple products and the meeting of domestic needs.

Call to the Food Council

„It is time to move away from the inefficient model of supporting surplus production. We need to focus on sustainable, domestic market-oriented agricultural development that not only strengthens Lithuania's food security, but also ensures lower prices for consumers," stresses Vytautas Buivydas.