A protest organised by the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners of Finland is taking place outside the Finnish government buildings in Helsinki this morning over falling agricultural incomes.

Farmers are demanding measures at national and EU levels against falling agricultural incomes ahead of the meeting of the Council of EU Agricultural Ministers on Monday (14 March).

Estimates by Natural Resources Institute Finland suggest that farming incomes fell by 40% in Finland in 2015 compared with year earlier levels. This leaves the average annual farm income in Finland at €9,700.

Losses

The Finnish farmers’ organisation is demanding compensation from losses directly influenced by the Russian trade embargo and has called for good economic relations between the EU and Russia relating to agriculture to be re-established.

There are also calls at the protest for strengthening of the position of farmers in the supply chain through EU legislation and for the EU to take action regarding agricultural input markets.

Farm subsidy payments have been delayed in Finland due to both the new CAP scheme and IT problems at the Finnish Agency for Rural Affairs. Protestors have called for less red tape and bureaucracy in payment schemes and for advanced payments to be made to farmers in 2016.

Watch live coverage from the demonstration at the Senate’s square in Helsinki below: