2021 is a jubilee year for the Chamber of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania: we are counting the 95th year since the establishment of the Chamber of Agriculture in 1926 and together we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the restoration of the Chamber in Lithuania (1991).
On this honorable anniversary, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart all those for whom we are celebrating the anniversary of the Chamber this year. I thank all the restorers of the Chamber, the representatives of the organizations and the otherwise active people who, in 1991. May 25 participated in the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reconstruction conference. Among them were not only farmers, but also employees of state institutions, prominent public figures, politicians and civil servants in the field of agriculture.
I would like to thank all the members of the Chamber of Agriculture, the organizations that have become part of the Chamber, which are working together with their members, with farmers and with the people of the countryside. We are glad that all these organizations and the people gathered in them have realized the advantage of working together, have not locked themselves in and are committed to wider activities. Only with the support of loyal members the Chamber can function successfully. It is only because of the members that the activities of the Chamber make sense and benefit not only for farmers but for all the country. So, once again, I thank the members of the Chamber of Agriculture for their support and assistance for working together and pursuing a common goal.
In the three decades since the establishment of the Chamber, Lithuanian agriculture, like the whole country, has undergone many changes. Freed from the Soviet system, got rid of the flawed collective farm ideology. After Lithuania joined the European Union, it joined the Common Agricultural Policy. Admittedly, this way has not been easy, it was with obstacles and mistakes, crises and shocks. Some of the difficulties appeared from a lack of experience, global economic trends, others from Soviet order and a rejected approach to work and property. However, the Lithuanian village was reborn – they adapted to modern times and revived farming traditions. Farmers’ consciousness has modernized – more self-confidence has emerged, and interest in scientific and technical innovations has increased. The village has slowly but surely become a bright part of Lithuania again, which works hard, but achieves a lot, remembers the past, but looks to the future, preserves traditions, but is not afraid of innovations. The fact that the Chamber of Agriculture, by promoting farmers’ self-government and uniting its members, has contributed to these changes is the best gift on the occasion of the Chamber’s anniversary.
Therefore, on the occasion of the honorable anniversary, I would like to wish the members of the House, farmers, rural residents, social partners and politicians of the country and foreign countries listening and unity, cooperation and consensus. Let the beautiful vision of the Lithuanian countryside become a reality.
Chairman of the Chamber of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania dr. Arūnas Svitojus