A large portion of this summer's berry harvest may go unpicked due to workforce shortages as Finland clamps down on visa rules.
Last week, the Foreign Ministry said it was not accepting berry-picking visa applications this summer from Thailand, Cambodia or Myanmar over concerns that the practice leads to exploitation and human trafficking.
This means berries could be scarce in Finland this year, as commercial operators have fewer pickers on hand.
Birgitta Partanen, director of the industry group the Arctic Flavours Association (Arktiset Aromit), said berry firms have yet to come up with a Plan B to replace the Thai pickers.
Finnish berry companies have voiced hopes that the ministry would still be willing to discuss the matter.
The ministry said wild-berry picking visas have hinged on the assumption that pickers sell their harvests to the party of their choice, picking berries based on the Finnish concept of "Everyone's Rights".
"It is evident that the current practice in the sector contradicts this assumption," the ministry said. "It has come to the Foreign Ministry's attention that wild-berry pickers have generally entered into employment contracts."
Over the years numerous reports have emerged showing that while berry pickers are officially classed as tourists in Finland, they are actually at the mercy of middlemen and berry firms for almost all their needs while working up to 14 hours a day. In some cases, pickers' conditions have been comparable to forced labour.
This summer's berry harvest risks collapsing, according to Partanen, who said stores could run out of berry-infused products like yogurts and blueberry soups.
23.3: Added Partanen's title and organisation name; updated 'Everyone's Rights'.
Users with an Yle ID can leave comments on our news stories. You can create your Yle ID via this link. Our guidelines on commenting and moderation are explained here.