The Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture is preparing a draft regulation on marketing standards for fruits and vegetables. These standards require, for example, that strawberries be intact and unblemished and that their country of origin and quality class be clearly indicated. According to Renata Tsaturjan, senior specialist in agricultural and rural policy at the ministry, the new regulation includes an exemption for those who sell their products directly on the local market.

"Until now, the rule was that regardless of whether you were a reseller or a grower, you had to comply with marketing standards at market stalls. Now, there's some relaxation — if a producer sells directly to the end consumer, the marketing standards do not apply in that case."

Tsaturjan said one of the goals of this exemption is to reduce food waste, but the Estonian Traders Association is concerned. According to the association's CEO, Nele Peil, it is common practice for imported goods and products from other growers to be sold at markets and fairs under the guise of farm products. In her view, the key issues are transparency and fair competition.

"If it's just an ordinary market stall, there may not even be an assumption that it's Estonian produce. But at farm-branded stalls, where people go specifically with the expectation of buying from a local farm, there should be a clear distinction between what the farm actually grew, what it imported and what wasn't produced in Estonia at all. Consumers need to be able to understand that."

Anna-Liisa Ingver, CEO of the Tartu Market, said that vendors at the Tartu Market and at the city's major fairs are subject to specific requirements.

"They have to display both the price and the country of origin, and there's closer oversight of where the food actually comes from. As a market that provides space to small producers, we take it seriously to ensure the country of origin is shown. However, we are not directly responsible for the goods being sold."

Supervision is carried out by the Agriculture and Food Board. According to Triinu Allika, head of the agency's food department, the number, location and frequency of inspections vary over time, depending on risk assessments and staffing levels. Last year, the agency issued five precepts that included a warning about the possible imposition of a penalty payment. In two cases, the obligations were not fulfilled by the deadline and the warning was enforced. Allika said the most common reasons for issuing precepts are the absence of accompanying documentation and violations related to mandatory information.

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