March 12, 2007

Finnish pork, poultry output at record, milk dives in 2006
 

Pork and poultry production reached record highs in Finland in 2006, forcing down producer prices, but milk output hit its lowest point in 50 years, Finland's Agriculture Ministry said on Friday (March 9).

Milk production fell 0.8 percent to 2.34 billion litres, the lowest since Finland began compiling comparable statistics in the 1950s.

The number of dairy farms has declined as there is also the European Union support policy, profitability (of milk farms) dived when Finland joined the EU as producer prices declined, said ministry official Sanna Vuorisalo.

Vuorisalo said the number of milking cows fell in 2006 as drought led to a poor feed harvest.

Pork production grew by more than 2 percent to a new record of 208.3 million kilograms in 2006, causing a slight downturn in producer prices, the ministry said.

Vuorisaldo said the country has an oversupply of pork, adding that prices for pig meat were low in Finland compared with the EU average.

Beef production grew to 87.2 million kilograms and poultry meat was up at 88 million kilograms. 

Meat production in 2006 totalled 384 million kilograms, up 1.7 percent year-on-year.

Egg production declined by 2.6 percent to 56.7 million kg, the ministry said.