Emergency supply agency questions scale of Finland’s grain debate

Finland’s National Emergency Supply Agency says details of its grain reserves are classified, while continuing to neither confirm nor deny whether its subcontractors have imported grain. Yle reported that the agency itself denies buying grain directly from abroad.

The issue has sparked debate after it emerged that the agency’s subcontractors may have imported grain into Finland’s emergency reserves while the domestic harvest season was under way.

Jukka Peltola, a preparedness expert at the agency, declined to confirm or deny the imports, citing its status as a socially critical organisation.

“Details related to emergency reserves are security-classified and secret information. We tell people everything we can,” Peltola said.

He said the agency had to balance transparency with security.

“If the information is publicly known, it is easier to assess Finland’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as possible vulnerabilities,” Peltola said.

Peltola also stressed that the agency cannot interfere with companies’ operations or procurement decisions. Its primary task, he said, is to ensure that the emergency reserves are up to date.

Agency says debate has taken on disproportionate scale

Peltola said he was surprised by the scale of the discussion that had emerged in recent days. He said it should not surprise anyone that Finland operates in internationally open markets.

“Within the EU single market, grain imports and exports are free and cannot be restricted,” Peltola said.

According to Peltola, grain imports have generally accounted for a relatively small share of Finland’s market compared with grain exports.

“Our grain balance is quite strong, so in my view this debate has taken on exceptionally large proportions,” he said.

Representatives of the opposition Centre Party in particular have called for further information from the agency about grain procurement.

Centre Party MP Eerikki Viljanen, for example, has criticised the possibility of foreign grain being brought into the agency’s reserves while the domestic harvest is under way.

Peltola does not believe the debate will change the agency’s practices, which he said have made Finland a model country for emergency preparedness.

“Finland’s emergency supply practices have been tested many times and found to work very well,” Peltola said.

At the same time, he added that the practices should always be reviewed to determine whether they could be improved.