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Finland Agriculture and Fishing Overview
Finland Facts
Finland is known in the world for its pure
nature, peaceful habitat and thousands of lakes. Finnish Lapland
is known all over the world, as well as Santa Claus, who lives
in Korvatunturi. Finnish sauna is a concept that is also widely
known outside our borders. Last but by no means least worth
mentioning is the Moomins created by Tove Jansson, who are
especially known in Japan.
Capital: Helsinki
Official language: Finnish, Swedish
Currency: Euro
Summer time: we observe summer time
Agriculture and fishing
More than seven percent of Finland's surface
area is used for agriculture. Most of the farms are now
medium sized and mechanized. In the eastern and northern
parts of the country much milk is produced, while
agriculture in the south and west is dominated by grain
production and animal breeding for meat production.
- CountryAAH:
Comprehensive import regulations of Finland. Covers import prohibitions and special documentation requirements for a list of prohibited items.
Until a few years after the turn of the millennium,
milk production was by far the most important industry
in agriculture, but in the past decade more farmers have
switched to growing cereals. However, in some parts of
the country milk production still dominates.
In recent years, the number of farms in Finland has
decreased, while the average farm has grown to about 36
hectares. In 1960, agriculture still employed 36 per
cent of the labor force, today almost 1 percent work in
the agricultural industry. For Finland defense and
foreign policy, please check
relationshipsplus.

Hay is grown on most of the country's arable land,
and grains, oats, wheat, potatoes and sugar beet are the
most common crops. One third of the farms are engaged in
meat production, especially beef and pork. In Lapland
there is also extensive reindeer husbandry.
Since the beginning of the 1960s, Finland has been
self-sufficient on basic foods such as potatoes, milk,
meat and eggs. Previously, agricultural surplus could be
sold abroad through export subsidies. But new rules were
introduced in 1995 when Finland joined the EU. Due to
the cold climate, many farmers, especially in the
sparsely populated areas of the north, still receive
financial support, both from the EU and from the Finnish
state.
Forestry is an important industry that provides raw
material for the country's important paper and wood
products industry. For many farmers, forestry is a side
job. Almost two-thirds of the forest is owned by
individuals or families, while around one-third is
state-owned. Only a fraction of the forest belongs to
private forest companies.
Fishing is of little importance nowadays. Mainly,
herring and pungent herring are caught and in addition
large amounts of rainbow are raised in fish farms.
FACTS - AGRICULTURE
Agriculture's share of GDP
2.5 percent (2018)
Percentage of land used for agriculture
7.5 percent (2016)
2017
December
Newspaper reveals surveillance of Russian troops
December 16th
The Helsingin Sanomat newspaper publishes an article based on classified
information about how the military intelligence service's research center in
Jyvaskyla has been given far-reaching powers to monitor Russian troops in an
area not far from the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. Prime Minister Sipilä
says that journalists have jeopardized the security of the country and one of
the journalists gets their home searched. The disclosure provokes a fierce
debate in the country about national security and how freely the media can
operate. Finland is usually at the top in measurements of freedom of the press
in the countries of the world.
Finland celebrates 100 years
December 6
With parades and street parties, Finns celebrate the 100th anniversary of the
country's independence from Russia. Lots of buildings around Finland are draped
or illuminated in blue and white. The government sends a text message to all
residents with the text: Onnea Suomi (Happy Birthday Finland)!
November
Neo-Nazi party is banned
November 30
The Tampere District Court bans the neo-Nazi group of the Nordic Resistance
Movement. The ban is justified by the fact that there is an "urgent social need"
for this, as the group spreads hatred and calls for violence against various
ethnic groups. The Finnish intelligence service has said that the Nordic
Resistance Movement aims to create a national socialist state. The Nordic
resistance movement is also found in Sweden and Norway. In Finland, the group is
estimated to have around 70 to 90 active members and perhaps 200 followers to
its ideology.
August
Suspected assailant acknowledges the knife act
22 August
The 22-year-old Moroccan, who is suspected of having performed a knife attack
that claimed the lives of two people and injured eight people, admits during
police questioning that he is guilty. However, he denies that it was a terrorist
act. The Finnish police have previously said that the knife attack is considered
a terrorist act.
Knife attacks in Turku are handled as acts of terrorism
August 18th
Two Finnish women are killed and eight people injured when a man suddenly
begins to attack passersby with a knife in Turku (Turku). According to police,
the perpetrator targets the knife attacks on women. Among the injured are six
women and two men. The latter must have tried to protect women from the
assailant. Among the injured are a Swedish, a British and an Italian. The rest
are from Finland. Police arrest the man after he shot him in the leg. The
suspect is a 22-year-old asylum-seeking man from Morocco. Another five Moroccan
men are arrested. The police are handling the act as a terrorist attack. The
Moroccan is sentenced in June 2018 to life imprisonment for murder "with
terrorist intent".
June
The government survives a crisis
June 13th
The election of radical right-wing populist Jussi Halla-aho as new leader of
the true Finns leads to the Center and the Collective Party interrupting
government cooperation with the party, fearing that it will pursue a more
radical EU-skeptical and anti-immigrant line. But when the party leader's
election results in a more moderate grouping within the true Finns breaking out
of the parent party, the Center and the Collective Party can reign together with
the more moderate faction of the true Finns. The breakers call themselves the
New alternative. Among them are 20 of the 37 Finnish MPs and all of the party's
government members, including Foreign Minister Timo Soini, who will remain in
office.
True Finns choose disputed leaders
June 10th
True Finns elect Jussi Halla-aho as new party leader after Foreign Minister
Timo Soini, who held the post for 20 years. Halla-aho was fined in 2012 by the
Supreme Court for comparing Islam with pedophilia. His goal is to make the true
Finns even more EU-skeptical and immigration-critical. The election of Halla-aho
leads Prime Minister Sipilä to call the leaders of the two coalition parties to
crisis meeting.
May
Three new ministers are appointed
May 5th
Prime Minister Sipilär appoints three new ministers, likely to ensure the
continued support of the true Finns. The policy areas for legal issues and the
labor market are shared and each has a responsible minister. The same thing
happens with agriculture and the environment. Minister of Agriculture becomes
the true Finnish Jari Leppä. The former Finns' former leader Timo Soini remains
as foreign minister, while one of the candidates to succeed him, Sampo Terho, is
appointed minister responsible for EU affairs, sport and culture.
March
The leader of the true Finns resigns
March 5th
Timo Soini leaves the post as leader of the true Finns after 20 years as the
party's front figure. The message comes after the True Finns were dragged for a
period of sharply declining confidence figures; since the 2015 election, the
true Finns' opinion figures have dropped from 18 percent to 9 percent. However,
Soini remains as Foreign Minister.
January
Basic income is introduced on probation
January 1st
Finland begins a test of so-called basic income. The test will run for two
years. Two thousand randomly selected unemployed citizens receive a basic income
of 560 euros a month instead of the traditional welfare support. If the
evaluation of the test period becomes positive, basic income will be introduced
throughout the country. The government believes that the basic income system
will make the unemployed more likely to apply for a job because the amount does
not have to be repaid if the recipient receives an extra job during the current
month.
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