Food Union awards it’s 2013 best milk suppliers

Yesterday, 27 February, at an award ceremony, the Food Union group, comprising AS ‘Rīgas piena kombināts’ and AS ‘Valmieras piens’, greeted and awarded the best milk suppliers of both these companies in 2013. The awards were given for significant investments in business growth, for producing the highest-quality raw milk, for supplying the highest amount of raw milk and for preserving Latvia’s cultural and historical heritage. In total, 20 suppliers were awarded in all these categories. Approximately 350 farmers from all over Latvia gathered for the event.

In the Latvian Dairy Patriot category, the farmers were greeted by the state secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia, Dace Lucaua, while those who supplied the most raw milk in 2013 were greeted by the board member of the Latvian Central Union of Dairy Producers, Harijs Panke.

‘Every day, Food Union works together with more than 400 farmer businesses and raw milk suppliers all over the country. It is very important for us to be able to, at least once a year, meet our milk suppliers and recognise their contribution, because the success story of Food Union products starts with their selfless work. Special recognition went to those companies that have followed Food Union in its growth and have turned into modern, effective, exemplary businesses,’ the Food Union CEO Sergejs Beshmeļņickis told.

The awards for successful cooperation and significant investments into company growth in 2013 were handed to Jānis Ločmelis’ ‘Mazdzērvītes’ farm in the Kocēni Municipality, Anda and Ivars Jermaks’ ‘Dālderi’ farm in the Vecumnieki Municipality, Gunta and Dzintars Vārpiņš’s farm in the Dobele Municipality, Gunta Izaka’s farm in the Bauska Municipality, Alda Kļaviņa’s ‘Ceriņi’ farm in the Rūjiena Municipality, Artis Janelis’ ‘Kalnblāķi’ farm in the Mazsalaca Municipality, and Jānis Grasbergs’ ‘Zilūži’ farm in the Kocēni Municipality.

The awards for the highest-quality raw milk produced in 2013 went to: in the Vidzeme Region, Silvia and Juris Miščenko’s ‘Palejkalni’ farm in the Aizkraukle Municipality, and Vita and Ainārs Dalbiņš’s ‘Gaidas’ farm in the Rauna Municipality. In the Zemgale Region, Sarmite Cielava’s ‘Krasti’ farm in the Bauska Municipality received the award. In the Kurzeme Region, the award went to Astra and Uldis Iņņis’ ‘Pauguri’ farm in the Priekule Municipality, and to Gunta Dumpe’s company SIA Derības in the Brocēni Municipality. In the Latgale Region, Leopolds Zunda’s company AS Viļānu SIS in the Viļāni Municipality received the award.

The award for the highest amount of raw milk supplied in 2013 and the title ‘2013 Milk Baron’ in Vidzeme went to Juris Gierkens’ farm in Krimulda Municipality. In Zemgale, this category’s winner was Edgars Silakalns’ company SIA AF Zelta Druva in the Dobele Municipality. In Kurzeme the best in this category turned out to be Jānis Vaļko’s company SIA Pampāļi in the Saldus Municipality, while in Latgale the award went to Valentīna Sarkane’s company AS LIS Latgale in the Viļāni Municipality. The prizes for the highest amount of raw milk collected from all over Latvia went to Dace Pastare’s company LPKS Māršava in Valmiera, and to Vladislāvs Butāns’ company SIA Piena Partneri in Jelgava.

In the category recognising those who preserve Latvia’s cultural and historical heritage, the awards went to Ameļa Jablonska’s ‘Verības-2’ farm in the Ozolnieki Municipality, and to Dace Stankēviča and Ilmars Apse’s ‘Mačēni’ farm in the Vecumnieki Municipality.

In the ‘Latvian Dairy Patriot category’, commendations issued by the Ministry of Agriculture were given to five farmers: Jānis Tukulis from SIA Ciruļi in the Jelgava Municipality, Jānis Miezītis from SIA Bormaņi in the Koknese Municipality, Normunds Kalniņš from SIA Sidgunda-2 in the Mālpils Municipality, Jānis Rancāns from the ‘Madaras’ farm in the Ogre Municipality, and to Eduards Vašuta from the ‘Ceipi’ farm in the Burtnieki Municipality.

Commendations from the Latvian Central Union of Dairy Producers for the highest amount of raw milk produced were given to five farms: Alda Kļaviņa’s ‘Ceriņi’ and Aigars Kalve’s ‘Kalntontes’ in the Rūjiena Municipality, Jānis Grasbergs’ ‘Ziluži’ in the Kocēni Municipality, Uldis Onzulis’ ‘Renči’ in the Kegums Municipality and Ģirts Rutkovskis’ ‘Vitoliņi’ in the Beverīna Municipality.