Off the wire
• Roundup: Italian media highlight positive impact of ECB measures on families, consumers  • Feature: Refugee drama in Aegean Sea depicted in Greek art exhibition  • News Analysis: With Trump leading nomination race, Republican Party hard to change image of "older white men's club" to woo minority voters  • RPT: Tropical Tibet builds roots for blooming ecotourism  • 2nd LD Writethru: Former presidential rival Carson endorses Trump in U.S. election  • NATO approves nomination of new commander  • 12 Indian paramilitary troopers injured in landmine blast  • UNWFP launches program to help 45,000 IDPs in Nigeria  • 1st LD: Former presidential rival Carson endorses Trump in U.S. election  • 1st LD: EU, Cuba sign deal to normalize ties  
You are here: 　 Home

Finnish farmers stage demonstration with tractors over falling incomes

Xinhua, March 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

Thousands of Finnish farmers with hundreds of tractors staged a massive demonstration in Helsinki on Friday over falling incomes.

Farmers from different parts of Finland converged in the capital city, aiming to draw public attention to their financial difficulties, which have been described by the Central Organization of Farmers and Forest Owners (MTK) as "catastrophic".

The farmers and their tractors arrived in downtown Helsinki in the morning, and went on a demonstration on the Senate Square until 2:00 p.m. (1200 GMT).

According to MTK, organizer of the event, more than 3,000 farmers and 600 tractors participated in the demonstration.

Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila and Minister of Agriculture and Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen appeared at the event and gave their speeches.

Sipila considered that the most important thing is to timely pay subsidies to farmers. He also called on citizens to eat more domestic food.

In response to criticism regarding the subsidy scheme, Tiilikainen said the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will take stricter supervision over the Agency for Rural Affairs, and appoint a new director to take responsibility for the issues related to subsidies for farmers. The duty of current person in charge of the issues is terminated.

Police said that the protest went peacefully, despite some traffic disruptions, which occurred in Helsinki in the morning and afternoon when the tractors rolled into and moved out of the city.

Similar protests were held in other places of Finland on Friday.

MTK said in a press release that agricultural income of Finnish farmers has declined the fastest in the EU during the last few years.

The Natural Resources Institute of Finland (LUKE) has estimated that Finnish farmers lost about 40 percent of their incomes in 2015, compared to the previous year.

The plight of Finnish farmers has been caused by the EU sanctions against Russia and the countermeasures, as well as the declining prices of agricultural products. Furthermore, the delay in handing out the EU subsidies added to their woes. Endit