According to Tike’s advance harvest estimates, the dry grain harvest amounted to almost 4.3 billion kg. In addition, 0.2 billion kg of cereals were harvested green. Crops of barley (2.2 billion kg) and wheat (0.9 billion kg) hit an all-time high. The oat harvest (1.1 billion kg) declined by 100 million kg and the rye harvest (42 million kg) by a third compared to 2008. More accurate harvest figures will be available in January 2010, when Tike will publish the final harvest statistics for 2009.

A record-breaking wheat harvest – and the second-lowest rye crop of the decade
2009 was the third consecutive good year for grain. Harvesting conditions were favourable. Yields per hectare, particularly in the case of spring wheat, saw year-on-year growth. A record crop of wheat was harvested: 888 million kg, 13% more than in 2008. Wheat is our major bread grain, and in recent decades it has also become an alternative feed grain alongside barley and oats.

 The rye harvest remained small, only 42 million kg. Rye is the only cereal that Finland must import due to low domestic production. Annually, 100 million kg of rye are required for rye bread production in Finland – domestic rye production last reached this level in 2000.

Barley crop also breaks records
As was the case with wheat, the barley harvest broke records – it amounted to 2.2 billion kg, accounting for half of our grain harvest. The bulk of the barley (1.2 billion kg) is used for feeding Finnish livestock. A substantial share of the harvest (0.6 billion kg) is produced for malting. Thanks to the third consecutive good grain harvest, the grain stockpiles have risen to record heights this year.

The oat harvest, 1.1 billion kg, was down 100 million kg on 2008. Oats are our second most important feed grain and largest export grain.

It is becoming increasingly common for feed grains to be harvested green in Finland. About 5% (205 million kg) of last autumn’s grain harvest was harvested green. The bulk of these grains were barley, oats and mixed crops.

Rape and turnip rape harvest grows by almost 60%
The rape and turnip rape harvest, 140 million kg, was the second largest in Finland’s farming history. 2006 was a record-breaking year, with a harvest of 148 million kg. Yields per hectare of rape and turnip rape have been at a low ebb for a couple of decades, but once again reached early-1990s levels last summer. The yield per hectare of turnip rape was close to 1,700 kg and that of rape almost 2,000 kg.

Potato harvest up 7%
The potato yield per hectare was good (27,710 kg/ha), boosting the total harvest to 731 million kg. The area under potatoes was on a par with the previous year, 26,400 hectares. The harvest of food and processed food potatoes in particular saw growth (12%). Ostrobothnia is a strong production area for food and processed food potatoes. Production of starch potatoes remained almost at the same level as in 2008 (-1%). Starch potatoes are mainly cultivated in Satakunta and Etelä-Pohjanmaa.


Statistical data and additional information
The harvest statistics are based on information provided by farmers. The information was collected by telephone from approximately 5,600 farmers. The harvest area for field crops has been calculated by deducting the known area of crop failure from the cultivated area given by growers in their subsidy applications. In addition, cereals harvested green have been excluded.

For additional information, please contact:
Researcher Anneli Partala, tel. 020 77 21 376
Researcher Mirva Kokkinen, tel. 020 77 21 371
Head of Unit Esa Katajamäki, tel. 020 77 21 237
Tike, Statistical Services
The e-mail addresses are in the format: firstname.lastname@mmmtike.fi