Quarantine devastates producers of national heritage products

The creators of the national heritage have suggestions on how to mitigate the consequences of the quarantine, but they remain unknown, says Jolanta Kubolienė, president of the Lithuanian Association of Producers and Creators of National Heritage, which belongs to the Chamber of Agriculture (ŽŪR).

“Quarantine hit us at a time when creators and producers of national heritage have a chance to earn more to survive year-round.” Most of the various celebrations and similar events are organized in the spring and summer, and we already know that all this will not happen for a few more months, and then the fairs and celebrations will be more modest. We missed the exhibition “What to sow”, the Kaunas spring fair, the “Kaunas Days” celebration. Apparently, the “Festival of the Sea” in the port city will change a lot, and it is not known if there will be a place for national heritage. Furthermore, opportunities to offer products in smaller cities have decreased. The turnover of producers who were able to trade in the markets decreased by approximately 30%, “said the head of the association.

According to her, non-food producers are experiencing total warmth. It is true that some food producers still had work to do since mid-March, but much less. After all, the products are exceptional. For example, apple cheeses and sweets made in accordance with national heritage traditions are generally purchased by people for various celebrations and parties on extraordinary occasions, and during the quarantine there were not even any personal family celebrations left.

Vaida Paula, who oppresses apple cheese, equates quarantine with the collapse of her development business. Because even 99 percent. She sold her products at fairs that were stirring in Lithuania every year, but they no longer exist.

“Although Lithuanians know what apple cheese is, buyers still need to be informed and interested. If you just put apple cheese on the shelf and shut up, you won’t sell much. Our work ended this year with the Kaziukas fair in Vilnius. If it weren’t for it, everything would be bad. We still have products, buyers are waiting. We do not sell in the markets, because the cheese we produce is exceptional. There are cheaper cheeses on the markets, often made, as we say, grandmothers, but you won’t find the ones we make. Grandma makes cheese in one day and we make cheese for up to three months! Another cost, a different quality, ”said the national heritage nurse, admitting that without finding a way out, she had to stop apple cheese production and wait.

“It just came to our attention then. Those who offered support probably have no idea how we work. We smallholders are going through a difficult time and now working capital is in stock and we don’t know when we will get it back. However, I am optimistic: viruses come and go, and I hope we survive! ”V. Paulė waits.

According to J. Kubolienė, President of the Lithuanian Association of Producers and Creators of National Heritage, only those who work with individual activity certificates can expect modest support from the state (Ministry of Agriculture). But, for example, additional farmers are no longer eligible for support. Also, most state support for national heritage is directed to events or, for example, certification (for new members) and very little support for education.

According to Sonata Kubilienė, Chief of the Rural Development and Information Division of the Ministry of Education and Science, the deadline to submit applications under the “Preservation of National Heritage” measure expired on May 8. However, only € 169,000 are available to finance applications under this call. Applications had to list scheduled events, but there is no guarantee that those events will take place. Consequently, even this modest support may not reach producers and creators of national heritage.

“Just because there were no events left: fairs, exhibitions we participated in, our turnover decreased by approximately 30%. We survived because we trade at the farmers markets in Vilnius. Of course, we have fewer buyers, but we have our own loyal buyers. I understand that the virus must protect itself, but when you think about it, when you delve into it, when you are safe, you see that fear has had a greater impact. I think we will feel the edge of fear all these years, “worries Gintaras Rugys, another member of the association that unites creators and producers of national heritage, which bakes bread.

In their search for ways to survive, patrons of national heritage hope that their offer will be heard and that they will be allowed to trade according to national traditions.

“I understand that the virus must be protected and we will protect against it.” However, the conditions should be the same for everyone. Here, the big supermarkets worked. And let it work. Cafes hit the streets and squares a few weeks before June. If you follow the quarantine rules, you work. But after all, we could also market our products within the established distances and other requirements.

If we are creators and producers of national heritage, then perhaps we also have the right to market our products in the same way as our ancestors in the city squares? Takim, 10-20 artisans meet at the craft fair, we divide the territory, at a distance of 5 to 10 meters from each other, so we trade. It wouldn’t cost, and we could survive, “says Vitalius Striuogaitis, a cultivator in the old tube ship.

Currently, almost 3 thousand are produced in Lithuania. Certified national heritage products. Most of them are traditional products with up to 1,500 names (30% of them food products), the rest (443) – plants, animals and their products of traditional breeds, and 13 – traditional services. There are around 150 certified traditional crafts teachers, 37 certified traditional crafts training programs, and around 800 developers of national heritage products (traditional craftsmen or legal entities).