Farm Support Talks Continue

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and representatives of agricultural producers are working to reach a common stand on EU supports to farmers in southern Finland by a Friday deadline. Ministry officials have been in talks with producers to try to work out a joint position before negotiations start with the EU Commission. Special agricultural supports, worked out as part of Finland's terms of membership in the European Union, come to a halt at the end of the year. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is pushing for a new period to cover six years of supports, rather than the cycle of four-year packages that have been made available up until now. It says the longer time span would make it easier for farmers to plan production.

The supports total just under 100 million euros annually.

The deadline for reaching a common stand is Friday. If the Ministry and producers cannot find a joint position on a proposal to the EU Commission, the issue will go to the cabinet for a decision.