This week, the Port of Riga’s terminals are receiving the first shipments of the new grain harvest, signaling the start of the active grain export season. In recent years, Riga has become the largest transshipment hub for agricultural products in Latvia – approximately half of all grain cargo transshipped through Latvian ports is exported via the Port of Riga.

This year, once again the Port of Riga is ready for the new grain season – the terminals have prepared the necessary infrastructure for receiving and exporting cargo. Meanwhile the Freeport of Riga Authority, in cooperation with the Riga City Council, is ready to implement the solutions for organizing truck traffic flow which were introduced last year with the aim of ensuring the smooth grain reception at the port while simultaneously reducing traffic congestion in the city.

Agricultural cargo is the third-largest cargo segment at the Port of Riga – in 2025, its volume reached 2.9 million metric tons. In recent years, investments in terminal infrastructure and proactive work with clients have significantly strengthened the Port of Riga’s competitiveness in this segment. Over the past five years, the terminals’ total storage and transshipment capacity has more than doubled.

Currently, 16 terminals on both banks of the Daugava River handle agricultural cargo at the Port of Riga. The largest of these are STREK, B Port, Osta Lejasvoleri, Riga Bulk Terminal, and Alpha Osta. In recent years, companies have invested in the construction of new warehouses, grain storage silos, receiving terminals, and transshipment infrastructure, as well as in modern technologies and high-capacity equipment, which makes it possible to receive, handle, and load cargo onto ships faster, more efficiently, and in larger volumes.

Currently rapid development of agricultural product transshipment infrastructure is underway on the left bank of the Port of Riga. Two new grain warehouses have been built at the Osta Lejasvoleri terminal, increasing storage capacity to 52,000 metric tons. Together with leased warehouses, Osta Lejasvoleri’s total storage capacity has now reached 150,000 metric tons. Meanwhile, STREK, through the targeted development of its grain transshipment infrastructure, has become one of the largest agricultural product terminals in the Port of Riga. The terminal boasts eight grain storage silos and two warehouses, which can simultaneously store 116,000 metric tons of grain, while three truck unloading stations provide for the handling of up to 300 trucks per day.

Ambitious investments in grain transshipment infrastructure are ongoing on the right bank of the Daugava River. Riga Bulk Terminal has built a new grain reception and storage complex with a capacity of 50,000 metric tons and truck and rail unloading facilities, increasing the company’s total grain storage capacity to 120,000 metric tons. Meanwhile, B Port is set to commission one of the largest grain warehouses in the Port of Riga this year, which will double the terminal’s agricultural product transshipment capacity.

With the terminals now technically operational, the Freeport of Riga Authority has implemented and is using digital solutions for organizing truck traffic flows. The main purpose of the implemented solutions is to foster efficient cargo reception at the terminals during the peak grain season, as well to enable carriers to reduce waiting times and avoid unnecessary vehicle downtime.

This year freight carriers are once again encouraged to use the i.rop electronic registration system before heading to the port for getting digital access approval from the specific terminal. The digital registration system and coordinated freight traffic management ensure more efficient operation of port terminals while minimizing the impact of freight traffic on the urban environment and neighborhoods adjacent to the port.