Farmers' Association criticizes Riga City Council for narrowing supplier pool in school catering

The Farmers' Saeima association has expressed concerns about the terms of Riga City Council's school catering procurement, arguing that they unfairly restrict local producers. According to the association, the regulations require a caterer to demonstrate cooperation with only two organic and two quality scheme producers, which is insufficient for the five-year contract period and the large volume of Riga's schools.

Chairman Juris Lazdiņš emphasized that this creates a paradoxical situation where politicians call for supporting local businesses, but the procurement does not reflect that. He noted that two organic farmers cannot ensure stable supplies throughout the contract term because agricultural harvests vary annually.

The association supports the view of the Procurement Monitoring Bureau (IUB) and the Riga Procurement Department regarding stricter contract control but insists on expanding the number of local farmers. Currently, the caterer must cooperate with only two organic and two national food quality scheme or integrated farming producers, which is too few for a long-term contract.

Lazdiņš also pointed out that after recent amendments, the evaluation criteria are so basic that all bidders could receive the same score, leading to a lottery. Previously, in the event of a tie, the bidder offering more organic producers would be favored, but this condition was removed following an IUB decision. A similar situation occurred last year when a €53 million procurement was decided by lottery, drawing attention from the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau.

The Farmers' Saeima proposes requiring cooperation with at least 20 local farmers within a 100-kilometer radius of Riga for more stable supplies. The association also criticizes that the shortest delivery distance criterion applies only to three products—potatoes, carrots, and apples—whereas it should apply to all 15 fruits and vegetables evaluated in the organic and quality scheme sections.

Earlier, the IUB prohibited Riga City Council from continuing the procurement procedure without amendments, and the council made the necessary changes, extending the bid submission deadline to June 8. The estimated value of the procurement is €601,353.