• There were 64,175 farms in Finland in 2009, a decrease of 1,600 on the previous year.
  • Close to 40% of the farms that discontinued production had not applied for subsidies.
  • The average arable area of farms in 2009 was about 36 hectares.
  • Farms with more than 100 hectares of arable land accounted for almost a quarter of Finland’s total arable area.
  • 60% of farms had rented arable land and their average size was 20 hectares. 
  • 43% of the farms grew cereals as their principal line of production while 19% specialised in dairy farming.
  • Farms engaging in sheep husbandry or other forms of production had the highest rates of discontinuing production.
  • The number of farms operated as limited companies continued to rise in 2009.
  • The average age of farmers exceeded the 50-year milestone in 2009.
  • Farmers around the age of 30 had the farms with the largest arable area.