SIA “Alūksnes putnu ferma” categоrically rejects the claims and video materials broadcast on March 30 in the LTV1 programme “Aizliegtais paņēmiens”, emphasizing that they are incomplete, biased, and create a misleading impression of the company’s operations.
All hens have beaks
At “Alūksnes putnu ferma”, all approximately 700 thousand hens have intact beaks. The footage shown in the programme and the claims regarding beak amputation are not accurate, as such practices do not exist in the company. This significant discrepancy raises justified concerns about the credibility of other video materials used in the programme, which were submitted to the editorial team by the organisation “Dzīvnieku brīvība”.
Furthermore, the programme’s editorial team was repeatedly invited to visit the production facility in Alūksne to verify the situation on site. However, the producers declined these invitations.
Hermanis Dovgijs, Chairman of the Management Board of SIA “Alūksnes putnu ferma”, comments: “ We understand that the content of the programme was unpleasant for viewers. This makes it even more regrettable that the programme’s creators declined several invitations to visit our farm in person and verify the situation on site. This raises legitimate questions about the willingness to present the situation objectively, rather than relying solely on materials provided by third parties. Nevertheless, we remain open to welcoming both media representatives and cooperation partners to ‘Alūksnes putnu ferma’, so they can gain first-hand assurance of the animal welfare standards we maintain.”
High animal welfare standards
The company states that since the resumption of operations in 2016/2017, contrary to claims made in the programme, no animal welfare violations have ever been identified at “Alūksnes putnu ferma”, nor has the company ever been penalised for such violations. Supporting documentation confirming this was provided to the programme’s editorial team. Moreover, during the most recent inspection conducted by the Food and Veterinary Service on March 16, 2026, no violations were identified.
Contrary to the statements made in the programme, the company’s equipment and technological solutions fully comply with European Union regulatory requirements.
The company operates in accordance with international food safety and quality standards, is certified, and regularly undergoes both scheduled and unscheduled inspections, including assessments by international auditors, consistently receiving high evaluations.
Key industry challenge – biosecurity breaches, not mites
The company emphasizes that the information presented in the programme regarding poultry mites is one-sided and taken out of the broader industry context. Mite infestation is a challenge for the entire poultry sector, not only in Latvia but across the European Union, and currently there are no solutions that would allow their complete eradication.
At the same time, the company highlights that a far more significant risk is intentional biosecurity breaches – unauthorized access to production facilities, which can pose real threats to flock health, food safety, and the export-oriented industry as a whole. Such actions endanger not only an individual company but also the overall reputation of Latvia’s egg production sector, in which substantial investments are made, jobs are created, and significant tax contributions are paid to the state budget.
In light of the above, AS “Agrova Baltics”, which includes SIA “Alūksnes putnu ferma”, is evaluating further legal steps to protect its reputation, while continuing cooperation with law enforcement authorities regarding cases of unauthorized access and biosecurity breaches.
It has previously been reported that the Latvian food production group AS “Agrova Baltics” has decided to transition to 100% cage-free egg production at “Alūksnes putnu ferma”. The company plans to complete this transition by 2028, becoming the first egg producer in the Baltic states to fully implement such a shift. This decision has been made in response to rapidly growing demand in export markets and retail chains for cage-free eggs.