Economic and financial section > Agricultural crisis > Volume 1

FINLAND.
Dr. Emil HYNNINEN,
Former Minister.
. The national economy of Finland comprises three main branches of production:
agriculture, forestry and industry.
Agriculture is in many respects the most important for the livelihood of the population.
In 1920, agriculture was the principal occupation of 65 per cent of the population, about
80 per cent of whom live in the country. The rural population also earns considerable
amounts by the sale of timber; 51 per cent of the forests capable of exploitation belong to
private persons, principally farmers, while 65 per cent of the annual growth falls to the
share of private forests. The largest proportion of the profit earned on forestry, which
has been estimated in recent years to amount to about 1% milliard marks, thus falls to
the share of the rural population. It has been computed that, in 1922, agriculture accounted
for approximately 38 per cent of the national revenue of the country, industry for 34 per
cent and forestry 22 per cent.
Finnish agriculture differs from that of various other countries by the comparatively
small exports to foreign countries. Professor Jutila estimated the total agricultural
output on farms on 1924-25 at 6,619,000,000 marks. The value sold was 3,546,000,000
marks i.e., 54 per cent—while the remainder was consumed on the farms. The export
of agricultural produce from farms was about 600,000,000 marks, the value of the produce
sold on the Finnish market 2,946,000,000 marks. The exports of agricultural produce
consequently amounted to only 9 per cent of the output.
Thus, the Finnish market is essential for Finnish agriculture. The world market is
however, also of great importance, since the prices ruling on the world market determine
those obtaining in the Finnish market.
The principal agricultural 'products exported from Finland are butter, cheese, and skins
and hides. The following table shows the exports in tons and in millions of marks:
Year
I9II-I915 .
I92I-I925 .
1925 • • •
1926 . . .
1927 . . .
1928 . . .
1929 • • •
Butter
Tons Millions
of marks
ii,444 381
8,561 316
13,191 478
13,212 428
i5»076 475
13,376 458
16,606 537
Cheese
Tons Millions
of marks
1,245 31
2,508 56
3,820 77
2,887 51
2,949 54
1,648 33
2,194 40
Skins and hides
Tons Millions
of marks
2,695 59
3,131 66
4,755 102
5,302 97
5,679 in
5,084 113
5,37° 99