The government must act to address the crisis in Finland's dairy industry, the body representing the country's milk producers has said.
Russia's long-standing sanctions on EU agricultural and food imports, lower producer prices and a cold and wet summer have cut demand and therefore income for milk producers.
"Global demand for dairy products has not grown as expected. Prices for dairy products have fallen around the world and then there are specific challenges in the domestic market," says MTK's milk manager Ilkka Pohjamo. Russia’s embargo on EU agricultural and food imports has aided to the strain.
"There's a real crisis going on," says Pohjamo.
The MTK is a trade organisation and interest group representing farmers, forest owners and rural entrepreneurs. It's demanding the same kind of emergency aid that was recently announced for dairy producers in France, who will receive an aid package of 600 million euros.