Dairy farmer says investment brings under 10-euro hourly pay

Finland’s dairy farms have fallen from more than 44,000 in 1990 to fewer than 4,000, while producers face rising fuel and fertiliser costs, falling milk prices and criticism over emissions, Yle reports. For 32-year-old farmer Satu Mäkelä, the work brings an hourly wage of less than 10 euros.

Mäkelä runs a farm in the Häme region with her three brothers. The farm has about 200 dairy cows, each with its own name and cared for as an individual.

“Rousku always waits for someone to scratch her,” Mäkelä says.

Rousku became attached to people as a calf, when her leg was treated. She now comes to greet people at the milking station, Mäkelä says.

The farm’s cows are checked during milking to make sure none has fallen ill since the previous milking. The farm is unusually large by Finnish standards, where the average number of cows is around 50 to 60.

Mäkelä and her brothers established a farming partnership 12 years ago, during a generational transfer. Their most recent investment was a 300,000-euro calf facility completed in 2023.

“The aim was to improve the animals’ welfare, particularly that of the calves, and to make our own work easier. Those goals have been met,” Mäkelä says.

Criticism brings feelings of guilt

Mäkelä says public criticism of dairy production weighs on her. She believes farms are constantly working to improve animal welfare, but that this is not recognised in some circles.

“It does not feel positive when there is constant criticism,” she says.

She also feels that agriculture is made the main scapegoat for climate emissions. The criticism makes her feel guilty, although she questions how much of it is based on facts.

According to the Natural Resources Institute Finland, emissions from cattle production account roughly for 15 per cent of all emissions in Finland. The estimate includes the entire land-use sector, including fields used in cattle farming.

Calculating emissions from cattle production is difficult, and the issue is also debated within the institute. A disputed new calculation method has suggested that the carbon footprint of Finnish milk could be half the previously estimated size.

Criticism of cattle farming centres on the fact that crops are first grown as feed before being turned into milk and meat. Critics ask whether it would be more sensible to grow food directly for people, as its carbon dioxide emissions are considerably lower.

Mäkelä disagrees. In parts of Finland, she says, producing food for people is possible only through livestock.

Farming under pressure

Mäkelä says producing grass for animal feed, and thereby converting it into milk and meat, is more sensible in northern Finland than growing food crops.

She also sees a contradiction in the environmental debate. Livestock farming is important for insects and nature, she says, while environmental policy also opposes the existence of livestock farms.

Mäkelä wants to highlight the positive effects of grazing. She says grazing has received strong support during the current subsidy period and creates biodiversity for birds and the wider environment.

Despite the criticism, Mäkelä and her brothers have decided to continue investing in dairy production. At the same time, the number of Finnish dairy farms is declining by several hundred each year, while agriculture is facing pressure for spending cuts. Finance Minister Riikka Purra said in an interview with Iltasanomat that agricultural subsidies should also be reduced.