Estonia’s self-sufficiency in pork production is expected to fall from 72% to just 39% next year as a result of the recent African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak. The gaps in store shelves will need to filled by imported meat for at least a couple of years. Ten years ago, during the first outbreak of ASF,…
Six years ago, Estonia bought millions worth of precision weapons from U.S. arms maker LMT Defense, but the poor-quality batch had to be sent back for repairs. “If an automatic rifle misses the target by 30 centimeters from 300 meters away, then for a precision rifle it’s an absolute nightmare. It in no way meets…
Estonian pig farmers say they won’t abandon their work, even as mass culls and the worst African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in a decade threaten domestic pork supplies. More than 55,000 pigs – about one-fifth of the country’s domestic pig population – have already been destroyed. The hardest blow came in late August, when the…
Supermarkets told ERR that if VAT were lowered on food, they would pass on the savings to customers. The government has previously said retailers will pocket the difference themselves. Estonia’s VAT rate rose to 24% on July 1 and there are no exemptions on food products, unlike in many other European countries. A petition calling…
The Food Industry Association has written to the prime minister, saying stores are increasingly stocking cheaper foreign goods, disadvantaging domestic producers. The association told the prime minister and finance minister that there had been a 7% rise in foreign goods on supermarket shelves over the last year. “This means that a growing share of the…
Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce (EPKK) chief Kerli Ats says domestic pork supply has been slammed by ASF, with consumers likely feeling the impact in six months. – The head of the Estonian Pig Breeding Association (ETSAU) warns the situation is so severe, Estonians might have to forgo having a domestic traditional Christmas pork…
In Sillamae, everyone will now be able to ride public transportation for free. Meanwhile, the Narva city government considers free bus service too expensive and doubts whether residents of the border city are willing to switch from cars to buses. Residents of Sillamae have been riding local buses for free for the past eight years.…