In 2007, Jutta cow was awarded with encouragement and flowers after producing 100,000 litres of milk in Ruotsinpyhtää, southern Finland. Picture: Tony Öhberg for Finland Today
Last year, dairies received just over 2.288 million litres of milk, according to the statistics released by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). The production volume was the highest in nine years, and the amount of produced organic milk kept rising, with 47 million litres produced.
While milk production rose by three per cent compared with the previous year, according to the preliminary data, meat production totalled just over 383 million kilos, which is one per cent less than in 2013.
There were 8,370 milk producers at the end of last year.
Milk production was discontinued at almost the same rate as in the previous year: approximately five per cent of farms gave up milk production.
There were 283,000 milk cows at the end of the year.
The number of milk cows has been on the rise in the past few years, and the average output of cows has increased.
More chickens made for meat
Poultry and beef production increased, while pork production declined.
Poultry production continued to rise, climbing to just over 113 million kilos.
This represented the growth of two per cent in comparison with the previous year.
The amount of produced bird meat has broken new records for four years in a row. Chicken production increased, while turkey production decreased. Just over 90 per cent of production comprised chicken.
270,000 cattle slaughtered
Beef production rose by a couple of per cent to just over 82 million kilos.
A total of 270,000 cattle were slaughtered in slaughterhouses: slightly fewer cows but more bulls and heifers.
186 million kilos of pork were produced last year, which is four per cent less than in 2013.
Last year’s production volume was the lowest in twelve years.
Just over 2 million pigs were slaughtered, and the average weight of fattening pig carcasses was 89 kilos.
Chickens lay 67 million kilos of eggs
Chickens laid about 67 million kilos of eggs last year.
This equals a slight increase to the year before.
Organic and caged hens laid more eggs, while the volume of eggs produced in barn-type hen houses fell.
62 per cent of the eggs were produced in hen houses with enriched cages, 33 per cent in barn-type and free-range hen houses and 5 percent in organic hen houses.
[divider]Background to the statistics[/divider]
The information on milk, meat and egg production is based on surveys conducted at dairies, slaughterhouses and egg packaging plants. The meat production volumes do not include home slaughter, and milk production does not include the use of milk on farms.
The tables associated with this bulletin are available online at Maataloustilastot.fi. Meat, Milk and milk products and Eggs.
