More clarity on strawberries origin needed, says prime minister
Commenting on allegations in the media that strawberries imported from other countries are being passed off as Estonian produce, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Centre) has called for consumers to be informed clearly about the countries of origin of produce on the market.
Speaking at the regular weekly government press conference on Thursday morning, Ratas' comments followed a report in weekly Maaleht on Wednesday which claimed that produce was being brought from Riga, Latvia overnight, to Estonia, for sale in markets as local crops, BNS reports.
Minister of Rural Affairs Mart Järvik (EKRE) added that the Veterinary and Food Board (VTA) has dispatched additional inspectors to markets to get to the bottom of the matter.
Järvik added that fines faced by violators will be substantial, making the alleged scheming not worth the euro or so mark up sellers might be able to make.
Strawberry prices at temporary market stalls often appearing in or near shopping centres are slowly rising as the season comes to an end, generally costing over €4 per kg at press time.
Download the ERR News app for Android and iOS now and never miss an update!
Editor: Andrew Whyte
