PARTNER
Mast project collects useful information for dairy farmers TEXT DIGIMAG/ILPO LOMMI PHOTO PIXABAY
Finland produces cow's milk that is of top-quality by European standards.
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he high quality is the result of the expertise of dairy farmers, strong traditions in dairy production research and counselling provided to farms, high-quality fodder, good animal health, favourable natural conditions and strict quality control. Almost all of the approximately two billion litres of cow’s milk produced in Finland is processed in dairies and larger milk production units and subject to their quality control. IN POHJOIS-SAVO, which is one of the most
important milk regions in Finland, milk production is developed, for example, with the help of projects funded by the European Union. One example of such projects is the
MAST project (systematic development of dairy industry and primary production) that ends in December 2017. MAST is the “umbrella project” for more specific development projects. MAST has improved the co-operation between ProAgria Pohjois-Savo, the Natural Resources Institute Finland and the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) in Pohjois-Savo by obtaining new information domestically and from abroad and providing it to the dairy farmers. Mika Repo, the MAST project manager from ProAgria Pohjois-Savo, says that participating in several international events and building professional networks has helped accumulate useful information, for example in relation to the issue of farm ownership change, www.digimag.fi
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which is a problem for milk production and agriculture in general. “Many viable farms are struggling to find someone in their immediate or extended family to take over the farm. International co-operation has resulted in receiving good advice related to ways for buyers and sellers to find each other more efficiently, on buying farms and concerning management systems. The high quality of the Finnish dairy industry, well-being of farmed animals, quality chain approach and family farm model are interesting to counterparties abroad. In addition, the extensive development projects of our dairy industry are a novelty to our partners abroad,” says Mika Repo.
Business Kuopio 2017
HE SAYS the results of the MAST project will be available after the project completion, for example on the following website: www.masthanke.fi. In addition, ProAgria will use the result in its counselling activities. On the project’s website, there are more than a dozen video clips (in Finnish) providing information, for example on the best practices and methods applied in Denmark. PROAGRIA NORTH-SAVO Development Director Mika Repo, tel. +358 43 825 2679 mika.repo@proagria.fi www.masthanke.fi