Union “Farmers’ Parliament” (ZSA) was established in 1999 as non-governmental organisation. Today the organisation has grown up to 800 members representing farmers of all agricultural sectors in Latvia. ZSA is the main agriculture lobby organisation in Latvia with long lasting, highly successful and professional ties in rural development sector both in the national and European Union level. ZSA is active in different EU programmes’ projects with the practical experience, ensuring the testing and demonstration activities, working on political recommendations and organizing information and educational activities and dissemination the knowledge in Latvia and EU.
ZSA is actively participating in the AgriDataValue project, but also has other different developments which are related to the AgriDataValue topics.
One important development is ZSA GEO digital map platform
ZSA has created a platform designed for the development and support of various digital technologies. The platform offers farmers the latest satellite images and the ability to compare them to see changes, various spatial data, which will continue to be supplemented with new digital solutions. Potential developments, models and data collected within the AgriDataValue project also could be technically integrated into the platform. Platform is accessible in the Web: https://app.smartagro.lv
The platform provides various spatial data layers, including: soil moisture and vegetation indices, various cadastres data, soil classes and values, information about agricultural fields integrated from the Latvian rural support service (LAD), satellite image maps, orthophoto maps, topographical maps etc.
After registration in the system, it is possible to draw or load your fields, display or add attributes from the LAD register, see the field area on the map and view them together with the data listed above and the latest satellite images. Platform also provides search functionality by the different parameters.
Satellite data is updated weekly and all cloud-free images are added to the platform. For example, in the season from March 2023 to September 2023, at least 10 images are available for comparison.
The app supports also mobile devices.
To the platform also additional information and layers can be added. For instance: The Latvian Nature Foundation (LDF) is starting the creation of a brand of natural meadow products within the project “LIFE-IP LatViaNature” and invites owners of meadows to apply as cooperation partners and potential producers of natural meadow products. The brand of natural meadow products will be a special label that will allow the consumers to recognize products that come from natural meadows, thus giving the opportunity to support the preservation of those meadows. In cooperation with ZSA, meadow owners will have the opportunity to display their farm and detailed information about products and services provided in the ZSA GEO map platform.
ZSA also developed a new meteodata platform which can be easily used on mobile devices and allows user to promptly review weather forecasts anywhere in Latvia: https://meteo.smartagro.lv. Currently, the platform combines the weather forecast services of SLLC “Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre” and MET Norway. But since it is possible to add other services to the platform, potential users are free to suggest other service providers of the weather forecasts.