Dismal future forecast for Finland's pig farms

The farmers' union forecasts that only half of the country's pig farms today will be around in 2020.

The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) said that the number of pig farms in Finland will have shrunk by half by 2020.

About 1,500 farms are currently operating in the country.

Jukka Rantala of the MTK explained, "Costs are going up and product prices are static. It's clear that there's going to be trouble. Individual pig farms will get bigger and bigger, with production staying the same but with larger and more spaced out facilities."

Pig farm profitability has also been hit by international competition and Russia's sanctions.