Producer prices of agricultural and horticultural products

General description of the statistics

The statistics on producer prices of agricultural and horticultural products monitor the absolute prices received by farmers for agricultural and horticultural products. The statistics include agricultural and horticultural products with the most significant financial value. Agricultural products are milk, meat, eggs, cereals, turnip rape and rapeseed, and food potato. Horticultural products include swede, parsnip, carrot, beetroot, white cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, sprouting broccoli, crisphead lettuce, leek, onion, gherkin, courgette, garden pea (fresh production), black currant, strawberry, raspberry, highbush blueberry, apple, cucumber, tomato, crisphead lettuce (potted and cutted) and herb (potted). Prices are measured as annual and monthly prices across Finland. Statistics on prices are compiled for specific product qualities and as averages of all quality classes.

The statistics monitor some 70 different prices of statistical products. The statistics serve to monitor the prices of agricultural and horticultural products and any variation in them. Together with statistics on agricultural and horticultural inputs and outputs, the price statistics depict the situation and development of agricultural and horticultural products markets.

Classifications

The product classification used in the statistics is based on the product classifications used in the price statistics of the EU and FAO. The classification is supplemented by nationally significant products. The quality and production method classification for eggs is based on EU regulations on egg trading.

No regional classification is used. The data are presented at a national level.

 Coverage

The statistics monitor producer prices regarding product flows that are sold from farms to industries, packaging plants and forwarding companies, without any further processing or packaging. The statistics do not include any products sold directly from farms to consumers or other farmers, used by farms, or packaged or further processed by farms. With the exception of some horticultural products, such as strawberry and raspberry, which are largely also sold from the farm directly to consumers.

The market channels included in the statistics cover:

• more than 98 per cent of the annual production of milk and meat
• more than four fifths of the annual production of eggs
• approximately half of the cereal harvest – the remaining proportion is used by farms or sold directly to other farms.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Agricultural and horticultural products are those that are sold by farms without any further processing or packaging.

The producer price is the price received by farmers for agricultural and horticultural products, excluding value added tax. The price is measured from the first stage of the market chain, as close to farms as possible. The producer price of milk, meat and eggs is the actual farm price, without including any transport from the farm. The producer price of cereals, turnip rape and rapeseed is the price as delivered to the first point of receipt, and the producer price of food potatoes is the price as delivered to the packaging plant. The prices of horticultural products are primarily those paid to farmers by wholesalers and packing plants. For some products, there are also farmer prices that sell the products to consumers or retail. These prices include transport from farms to the first point of receipt or the packaging plant.

Regular milk is milk whose fat content is 4.3 per cent and whose protein content is 3.3 per cent.

The basic price of cereals is the price cereal buyers pay for cereals of a basic price quality delivered to the point of receipt. Any brokerage fees charged by cereal brokers from farmers are deducted from the price.

The quality-adjusted price of cereals is the price in which the impact of any quality factors differing from the basic price quality on the cereal purchase price has been taken into account. Cereal buyers pay this price for cereals delivered to the point of receipt. Any brokerage fees charged by cereal brokers from farmers is deducted from the price.

Statistical unit

Data are collected from companies that purchase agricultural and horticultural products from farmers, including dairies, slaughterhouses, egg packaging plants, cereal-buying companies, and food potato and horticultural packaging plants. 

Statistical population

The statistics cover all major companies in the sector. As a rule, the statistics cover more than 80 per cent of the analyzed product flows with regard to meat, milk, cereals, turnip rape and rapeseed. Food potato and horticultural products is an exception, and its coverage is lower due to fragmented markets.

Unit of measure 

Milk producer prices are presented in cents per litre.

Producer prices of beef, pork and chicken meat, as well as eggs, are presented in euros per 100 kg.

Producer prices of bread wheat, rye, malting barley, turnip rape and rapeseed are presented in euros per 1,000 kg.

Producer prices of feed wheat, feed barley and oats are presented in euros per 1,000 kg.

Monthly producer prices of food potatoes are presented in euros per 100 kg.

Producer prices for horticultural products are presented monthly in euros per kilogram, except for the crisphead lettuce (potted and cutted) and the herb (potted), the price of which is shown in euros per piece.

Reference period

One month

Frequency of disseminations

Monthly (preliminary data) and annually

The statistics are compiled based on the Act on the Natural Resources Institute Finland (561/2014), the act on food and natural resource statistics (562/2014) and the Statistics Act (280/2004), as well as a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ entered into with Eurostat. Regulation (EC) No 138/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the economic accounts for agriculture in the Community sets an indirect obligation to compile the statistics.

More information: Statistics legislation

Confidentiality - policy

Data protection is the basic principle of statistical activities, to which Luke is committed and which ensures the confidential processing of the data provided. Unit-level data are confidential, and they will never be disclosed for administrative decision making, investigation, supervision, legal actions or any other similar purposes.

Confidentiality - data treatment

The protection of data collected for statistical purposes is ensured in accordance with the requirements set out in the Statistics Act (280/2004), the Personal Data Act (532/1999), the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, 2016/679). Datasets are protected by the physical and technical means required at all processing stages. Employees only have access to data they need in their work. There is no unauthorised access to facilities in which unit-level data are processed. Employees have signed a non-disclosure agreement in conjunction with their employment contract. Any intentional breach of data protection is a punishable act.

More information: Privacy policy – Statistics

The disseminations of the Natural Resources Institute Finland are published online on weekdays at 9:00.  Data is public after it has been published on the website.

Release calendar

The publication dates are confirmed in autumn together with the action plans. The release calendar of the following year is published for users in the end of the year. The release calendar holds data on the dates of future publications. The calendar also contains direct links to already published statistical publication.

Release calendar access

Statistical releases calendar | Natural Resources Institute Finland

Quality assurance

In compiling statistics, the National Resources Institute Finland (Luke) complies with the Code of Practice (CoP) for European statistics and the Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) based on it. The CoP concerns the independence and liability obligation of the statistical authorities and the quality of processes and published information. Its principles are compatible with and supplement the principles of official statistics approved by the UK Statistical Commission. In addition, the quality criteria set for the Official Statistics of Finland are compatible with the CoP. Its principles are also compatible with the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM).

The response material of the statistics is examined and edited at a monthly level, and the non-response error is analysed (according to different background information). 

Quality assessment

The response material of the statistics is examined and edited, and the non-response error is analysed (according to different background information).

Users of the statistics are requested to provide feedback during meetings concerning changes in the statistics and in conjunction with written requests for comments. Feedback is also received directly. Feedback from users is monitored and taken into account when developing the statistics.

User needs

The statistical data are used in administration and research, as well as by agri-food enterprises, producer organisations and guidance services. Internationally, the data are used by such bodies as Eurostat and the FAO.

Overall accuracy and reliability

The statistics cover all agricultural and horticultural products that are the most significant considering their financial value. The product list is updated as the significance of different products increases or decreases. Only the product flows presented in Section 1.3 are monitored regarding certain products, which should be taken into account when using the statistics.

The population is updated once a year. This ensures that the statistics include all major companies in the sector. As a rule, the statistics cover more than 80 per cent of the analysed product flows with regard to meat, milk, cereals, turnip rape and rapeseed. Food potato and horticultural products is an exception, and its coverage is lower due to fragmented markets.

Considering the quality of the statistics, it is important that all data providers register their price data in the same way and at the same market chain stage. Data collection schedules have been planned so that companies can collect the data required directly from their payment systems. As a result, the data are based on actual producer payments.

Average prices are calculated as averages weighted with purchase volumes. The weighted average addresses any variation in volumes and prices, drawing a more realistic picture of the situation than a direct average.

The price of a certain agricultural product will not be published if fewer than three companies have reported data. The publication of cereal price data requires that at least five companies have reported data and at least two different dominance requirements are met. The requirements aim to ensure the sufficient coverage of data and the protection of data providers’ privacy.

Timeliness

Data on producer prices of agricultural and horticultural products are published monthly and annually. The previous month’s data are mainly published on the last day of the following month or on the following working day. Monthly statistics include preliminary data. Full-year statistics are published in February, including final data.

Chronological comparability

When comparing the prices of cereals, turnip rape and rapeseed with other available price information, attention must be paid to the price determination date. The statistics monitor products delivered from farms during a specific month. Cereal transactions and prices can be agreed several months before delivery. Therefore, the statistics represent the price levels of product batches delivered during the month in question, not the level of market prices (i.e. daily prices) during a specific month.

The chronological comparability of the statistics is the most reliable starting from 1995. As a result of the EU membership, Finland’s market system for agricultural products underwent major changes. Statistics on producer prices of agricultural products have been compiled since the 1930s. Before Luke, price statistics were compiled by Statistics Finland, Pellervo Coop Center’s market research organisation and the National Board of Agriculture.

Statistics on the prices of cereals, turnip rape and rapeseed were updated in 2009. Price data based on the new and previous methods overlapped for six months. New and old series are not wholly comparable due to changes in price concepts.

Uniformity across statistical areas

The agricultural producer price index represents the same theme as these statistics. The index presents the development of prices relative to a specific base year. The statistics on producer prices of agricultural and horticultural products measure the absolute level of prices and, therefore, supplement the prices depicted by the index.

Internal uniformity

The data included in the statistics are uniform. The statistics are the only regularly (monthly) compiled survey of agricultural and horticultural producer prices in Finland. The survey’s key questions are identical in all EU Member States.

Source data

The statistics use the base data of Luke’s egg, milk and meat production statistics, as well as those of statistics on cereals purchased and used. In addition, the base data of Statistics Finland’s Register of Enterprises and Establishments are used.

Frequency of data collection

Monthly

Data collection

Luke collects data using six separate paper or online surveys. Depending on the product/survey, the population includes:

• dairies that purchase raw milk from farms
• slaughterhouses that purchase production animals from farms
• egg packaging plants that purchase unpackaged eggs from farms
• cereal brokers and industrial companies that purchase cereals and oil crops from farms; or
• potato packaging plants that purchase unsorted food and early potatoes from farms.
• packing plants and wholesalers buying horticultural products.

The populations are composed based on administrative registers and base data of statistics on the production volumes of companies. The administrative registers used include the Finnish Food Authority’s register of approved meat, milk, egg and potatoes establishments. The statistics use the base data of Luke’s egg, milk and meat production statistics, as well as those of statistics on cereals purchased and used. In addition, the base data of Statistics Finland’s Register of Enterprises and Establishments are used.

Statistical surveys are conducted as selective sampling with data collection including the largest companies in each sector. Of the surveys, five are monthly and one is annual. Average prices are calculated as averages weighted with purchase volumes. Volume data are requested from data providers using the same forms that are used to collect price data.

Data validation

If an unusually high finding is discovered during data processing, the accuracy of the finding will be verified from the company in question. 

Data compilation

As a rule, any incorrect data are corrected manually. 

If data are not obtained on time from a certain company, the missing data will be imputed using the averages and prices calculated from the previous months’ data obtained from the company. The data will be adjusted in the statistics immediately after they have been obtained from the company.