2008 yielded a record barley harvest. However, most of the other crops fell short of 2007. Tike’s harvest statistics, which are included in the Official Statistics of Finland (OSF), were completed at the turn of the year. Advance harvest estimates were released at the end of July and the beginning of September. Advance information on the final harvest figures was published at the end of November.

The 2008 grain harvest was the second-largest in Finnish history. The harvest amounted to 4.2 billion kg, up 2% on 2007. Only the barley harvest grew compared with the previous year. The yield of other grains was lower than in 2007. In September, it was forecast that the harvest would fall short of 4 billion kg, while the advance information on the final harvest figures released in November estimated it at 4.1 billion kg. Finland had a bumper grain crop thanks to the large sowing area; the discontinuation of the set-aside obligation increased the area under cereals by 83,000 hectares compared with summer 2007.

Bread grain crop 4% lower than in 2007
The rye harvest amounted to 61 million kg, a fall of 30% on the previous year. Rye is the only cereal in which Finland is not self-sufficient, as we consume about 100 million kg of rye annually. The harvest of our other bread grain, wheat, was 788 million kg, 1% less than in 2007. The total bread grain harvest was down 4% on the previous year and its quality was weaker than in many years.

1.2 billion kg of oats were threshed, almost as much as in 2007. The barley harvest was 2.1 billion kg, 144 million kg more than in the previous year. Barley accounted for half of the Finnish grain harvest.

Slump in the sugar beet harvest
Sugar beet farming once again plummeted compared with the previous year. The sugar beet harvest fell to 468 million kg, down by almost a third. This decline was due equally to the decrease in the area under sugar beet (by 15%) and the lower yield per hectare. The potato harvest was 684 million kg, 2% less than in 2007.

The turnip rape harvest, 71 million kg, was one-quarter smaller than in 2007. The main reason for this decline was the year-on-year decrease in the sowing area. The yield of our second most important oil crop, rape, was 18 million kg, on a par with 2007.

Caraway farming exceeded the 20,000-hectare milestone for the first time in 2006. The area under caraway has now settled at the same level as potato and sugar beet. The caraway harvest was 5 million kg last year. The harvest year was weaker than 2007, when the caraway yield amounted to 6 million kg.

Typical forage harvest
The forage harvest was normal. The silage harvest was 3% less than in 2007. About 84% of the silage harvest was pre-dried, while the remainder was harvested as fresh silage. The dry hay harvest amounted to 368 million kg.

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 on the statistics, contact Researcher Anneli Partala, Tel. +358 20 77 21376 or Researcher Mirva Kokkinen, Tel. +358 20 77 21371. The format of e-mail addresses is firstname.lastname@mmmtike.fi