The National Grain and Oilseed Strategy for 2006-2015 outlines the success factors in the Finnish grain and oilseed chain and the means to realise them. Bioenergy production on arable land offers significant future opportunities for the Finnish grain and oilseed sector.

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In Finland there are no large international companies or globally recognised brands in the grain and oilseed sector on which our success could be constructed. Reaching the goals calls for more efficient, innovative and international production and marketing chain, where the different elements are capable of close cooperation for the benefit of the whole chain.

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According to the National Grain and Oilseed Strategy, the success factors of the Finnish grain and oilseed chain are:

Meeting consumer needs through sustainable, long-term action.

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Producing added value and developing the quality chain through innovative commodisation and efficient marketing.

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Sufficient production of high-quality domestic raw material is an indispensable foundation and precondition for the success.

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Motivating professional farmers to produce high quality by developing the conditions of contract farming and quality pricing.

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Uniform and efficient grain and oilseed chain, whose parts all function in a profitable and market-oriented way in good interaction with each other; there may be no weak links.

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Anticipating changes in agricultural policy and operating environment.

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Developing and utilisation of the diverse use potential: new forms of use, such as use of grain for energy production, increase the demand and balance the grain and oilseed market.

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In the past 15 years the yields per hectare of grain and oilseed crops have decreased in Finland, while in the other EU countries they have grown. One of the main objectives in view of the competitiveness of the whole chain is to raise the yield level by 20 per cent by 2015.

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Bioenergy production offers the most significant opportunity for growth in the grain and oilseed sector during the next decade. In the bioenergy scenario of the Strategy the production of bioethanol is expected to start in 2008 and the cereal production needed for this is expected to increase from 400,000 tonnes to almost 600,000 tonnes by 2015. Barley used for bioethanol production would represent 25 per cent of the total grain production in Finland and 29 per cent of barley production. The total production of turnip rape and oilseed rape may rise to more than 500,000 tonnes by 2015. To achieve this, the yield level should rise to two tonnes per hectare, because the natural conditions prevailing in Finland restrict the maximum production area for oilseed crops to 250,000 hectares.

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The objective of the National Grain and Oilseed Strategy is to improve the efficiency of the domestic grain and oilseed chain by committing all the actors in the chain to the common objectives. This is why it is proposed that the term of the Fingrain - Vilja-alan yhteistyöryhmä (VYR) be continued by another three-year period. The Strategy aims to maintain the strong position of Finnish grain and oilseed products on the domestic market and reinforce the competitiveness of the sector on the export market.

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Further information at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry:

Mr Seppo Koivula, Commercial Counsellor, Fingrain (VYR), tel. +358 (0)9 5785 2698, 040 541 8735, seppo.koivula@mmm.fi, Fingrain (VYR) website: www.fingrain.fi