The Finnish grain harvest amounted to over 4 billion kg, but its quality does not measure up to previous years in all respects. Only 19 per cent of the wheat is of bread grain quality. On the other hand, as much as 80 per cent of the malting barley is of malting quality on the basis of protein content and grain size. Abundant rain during the growing season increased the incidence of mould in certain areas, but toxicity remained low. Tike and Evira have compiled advance information on the 2008 grain harvest. The final harvest quality information will be published in January 2009.

One-fifth of the wheat is of bread grain quality
The wheat harvest was good in terms of quantity, amounting to almost 780 million kg. Of this amount, 149 million kg fulfilled the quality requirements set for bread wheat. 118 million kg were spring wheat and 32 million kg winter wheat. Spring wheat had a lower protein content than in the previous year. Consequently, the percentage of the harvest that was of bread grain quality was lower than in the three previous years. The regional differences were great. In Uusimaa, only 3 per cent of the spring wheat harvest was of bread grain quality, while it was 84 per cent in Ostrobothnia.

The domestic rye harvest declined from last year’s figure of 87 million kg to 60 million kg. Only 28 per cent of the rye fulfilled the quality requirements set for bread grain. The percentage is significantly smaller than in the previous two years. This was due to the weak quality of the rye, mainly its low falling number.

80 per cent of the malting barley is of malting quality
Of the barley harvest produced for malting barley, 502 million kg – or 80 per cent – fulfil the quality requirements for malting. The percentage of malting-quality barley was at a record high due to the low protein content of the harvest.

Hectolitre weight of feed grains is good
The feed barley crop amounted to about 1.4 billion kg, of which close to a billion kg, or 68 per cent, had a hectolitre weight of over 64 kg. Feed barley with a hectolitre weight of more than 64 kg is usually of marketable quality.

96 per cent of the oat crop exceeded the 52-kg hectolitre weight requirement generally used by the feed industry and 45 per cent exceeded the 58-kg hectolitre weight required for milling quality oats. According to the quality indicators used, the oat crop was better than in previous years. Regional differences in oat quality were lower than in the case of feed barley.

This information on the quality of the 2008 grain harvest is an advance estimate. A table of the final data on grain harvest quality will be published on 29 January 2009, combining Tike’s harvest statistics with the follow-up of grain quality carried out by Evira’s grain laboratory. Tike’s harvest survey includes about 5,800 farms; information from 5,300 was available for use in the advance estimate. Evira monitors grain quality from 1,300 farms that are included in Tike’s harvest survey sample. Grain quality information from 520 farms was included in the advance information.

For additional information, please contact:
Harvest information on the cereal crop
Researcher Anneli Partala, tel. 020 77 21 376
Researcher Mika Kuoppa-aho, tel. 020 77 21 366
Tike, Statistical Group
The e-mail addresses are in the format: firstname.lastname@mmmtike.fi

Grain quality information
Head of Unit Mirja Kartio, tel. 020 77 25090
Senior Researcher, Head of Section Elina Sieviläinen, tel. 020 77 25092
Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, Plant Analysis Laboratory
The e-mail addresses are in the format: firstname.lastname@evira.fi