In 2021, Latvia was the world's fourth largest exporter of rye. Latvia is not in danger of famine!
According to data compiled by the International Trade Center, Latvia was the fourth largest exporter of rye in the world in 2021 (131,000 tons). In 2021, Poland exported 1.06 million tons of rye, Germany exported 376,000 tons of rye and Canada exported 142,000 tons of rye. Latvia's total rye exports in 2021 were ahead of Russia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and other countries.
In 2021, the main buyers of Latvian rye were: Spain, which purchased more than 60% of Latvia's rye exports; Germany, which accounted for 24% of Latvia's rye exports;
Estonia, Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark and the UK were also important buyers of Latvian rye in 2021.
Latvia had an outstanding year in 2020, when it ranked third in the world in total rye exports (tons), even ahead of Canada.
Latvia's total income from rye exports in 2021 was €25 million, slightly lower than in 2020, when Latvia's income from rye exports was €28.8 million.
Thus, although Latvia's market share in the global rye market in terms of export value fell from 7.3% to 5.5% during the year, Latvia remains one of the world's most important exporters of rye and other cereals. Therefore, the rhetoric of various populist politicians and fake “experts” that Latvia is threatened with famine this autumn is either a sign of incompetence or deliberate manipulation of public opinion in the run-up to the elections to the Saeima. On a per capita basis, Latvia is one of the world leaders in food production and exports. Latvia can only be threatened with famine if the government is inept or criminal in its treatment of Latvia's most important specialization in the global market and, above all, fails to ensure that the state budget is allocated in such a way as to eliminate inequalities in access to food.