Search: 2012, Press releases

In 2011, greenhouse enterprises consumed 1 700 GWh, about 2% less than in 2008, the previous year of research. Production efficiency has improved to a significant extent because production vol-umes increased simultaneously. This information is based on the results of a horticultural survey compiled by the Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Tike).

At the beginning of the millennium, there were 18,200 more farms in Finland than in 2011. About every farm in five ceased operations after 2000. However, the decline in the number of farms in this millennium has clearly slowed down as compared to previous years because in 1990–2000, the number of farms decreased by a total of nearly 50,000 farms. Of the farms, 88% were owned by private persons and 10% by heirs and farming syndicates. Incorporated company-based farms amounted to 1%.

The outdoor vegetable harvest was 186 million kilos, the berry harvest 16 million kilos and the greenhouse vegetable harvest was 81 million kilos. In addition, the number of potted vegetables increased to 98 million pots. The information is based on Tike's (the Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) recently completed advance information about 2011 horticultural statistics.

Producer prices of agricultural products increased last year. The nominal price of many products, such as bread wheat and eggs, rose to a record high since Finland joined the EU. However, 2011 prices were still noticeably lower than nominal prices in 1994. These figures are based on the Producer Prices for Agricultural Products statistics compiled by Tike (Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry).

In 2010, agricultural and horticultural companies consumed about 10 terawatt hours (i.e. 10 billion kilowatt hours of energy). The energy consumption of agricultural and horticultural production was less than 3% of the entire energy consumption in Finland.

According to Tike's harvest statistics, the total grain harvest in 2011 is about 3.7 billion kilograms. The grain harvest increased by almost 25% (about 680 million kilograms) from the previous year. The harvest information has been specified further from the advance information published in November, and they also include harvest information about turf and other field plants.

The production of organic wheat, used for food and animal feed, increased to 15 million kilos in 2011. The production of mixed crops, which includes cereals and protein plants, used for animal feed, increased to 10 million kilos. This information is indicated by recently prepared statistics on organic harvest by Tike (Information Service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry).

Based on the quantity and quality of spring and winter wheat, 2011 was a very good growing season for bread grain. The milling-quality crops of spring and autumn wheat were the highest during the past decade. The protein content of feed grain, i.e. barley and oats, was high but their hectolitre weight remained low, especially in the case of barley. Only less than a third of malting barley fulfilled the criteria of protein content and kernel size, set by maltsters.

In 2011, the cereal industry and traders purchased a total of 1.7 billion kilos of cereals from farms. In addition, a total of 100 million kilos of turnip rape and oilseed rape seed was purchased. Industry used a total of 1.4 billion kilos of domestic and foreign cereals in 2011. This information is indicated by recently prepared statistics by Tike (Information Service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry).

By the middle of January, the inventory level on farms totalled 124 million kilos of food potato. This is 16 million kilos more than in the previous January, which is mainly caused by a better harvest and an increase in cultivated area. However, the inventory level of food potato has lowered more rapidly than in the previous year. From the middle of October, the inventory level of food potato has decreased at a monthly rate of 32 million kilos.