Peat deposits in the territory of Latvia forms 10 % – 15 % of the country's area, or about 6782 km2 to 9700 km2 [1]. JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM) manages more than 50 % of all peat bogs in Latvia, of which LVM has leased 16.8 thousand ha or 168 km2 deposits for peat extraction.
Peat extraction on these lands is carried out by LVM tenants; for example, in the last four years, the Skrebeļi-Skrūzmaņi Bog leased by LVM ranks first in terms of mining volume. Among the top 20 peat extraction sites, there are several more bogs leased by LVM: Sauka Bog, Lielais Aknīstes Bog, Galenieki (Lakstīgalas) Bog, Nīcgale Bog, etc. In one deposit, peat extraction can last up to 75 years, and it is a seasonal activity; every year, the extraction starts averagelyin April or May and ends in September. Peat extraction is very significantly influenced by the weather conditions.
The peat harvested from LVM bogs is mostly used for the production of peat substrate and the produced product is mainly exported. According to the information published by the Latvian Peat Association, in 2021, about EUR 233 million peat was exported.
The main use of the peat harvested in Latvia is the production of various substrates intended for horticulture, which are used in Latvia, and elsewhere in the world to grow tree seedlings, tomatoes, cucumbers, flowers, cabbage, celery, and other plants. For example, tree seedlings can only grow in a peat substrate and there are currently no other alternatives in the world. Tree seedlings which are produced by LVM Sēklas un stādi are grown in Latvian produced peat substrates. About 7 500 tree seedlings can be grown in just one 1 m3 of peat, from which 2.5 ha of pine forest can be grown; thus, Latvia has at least 60 million reasons to use peat – this is exactly how many tree seedlings are grown in LVM nurseries on average to restore and grow forests in Latvia.
To promote the communication of the current requirements of laws and regulations to peat mining companies, and to promote both cooperation and information exchange between lessees, LVM and institutions involved in the control of the peat extraction process organized lease partner training in Jelgava on May 11, 2022. On this day, both the labour protection and fire safety requirements of LVM were discussed, the State Fire and Rescue Service informed the participants about the control of compliance with the requirements set out in the laws and regulations and the planned amendments. The State Environmental Service initiated a discussion on peat deposit extraction projects, permits and their control over the producers, emphasizing the importance of up-to-date and accurate data, while the LVM talked about the process of deforestation and vegetation removal process.
At the end of the training, those present appreciated the benefits of such discussions, information exchange and opportunities to meet face-to-face with the involved parties.
LVM Zemes dzīles wishes its cooperation partners a productive peat mining season and good weather for peat mining!
[1] Data of the Latvian SSR Peat Fund and the ERDF project “Innovation in peat research and creation of new products containing it”.