Estonian producers plan to enter Finnish food market
Currently only a few Estonian food products available in Finland
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Estonian foodstuffs producers are interested in the Finnish market. Many companies are improving their production facilities in order to start exporting to Finland.
Many bakeries, meat processors, and juice factories would like to have their products included in the Finnish food assortment. A number of plants and machines are being modernised so that the new markets could be opened.
The availability of Estonian food in Finland is quite poor at present. Food products from this new EU member country can be found among Finnish wholesalers’ own trade names, for example under the Rainbow own-brand items that are sold in the chain stores of the S-Group and Tradeka. Currently, frozen fish as well as quark and yogurt products are the most common Estonian foodstuffs on sale in Finland.
Due to the shortage of raw materials, meat products are not exported to Finland yet. However, the Estonian Valga meat processing plant is planning to enter the Finnish food market under its own trade name Maks & Moorits. Their selection will include ham and grilling sausages.
The owner of the Rakvere food processing plant, the Finnish producer HK-Ruokatalo, transports thousands of tons of meat annually from Finland to Estonia, in order to have enough raw material for the domestic consumption there. Furthermore, Estonian sausages are thought to contain too much salt and fat for the Finnish taste.
Currently, Estonian producers are exploring the market and seeking possible partners. Rõngu Mahl juice factory is already negotiating the placement of its cranberry and buckthorn juices in Finnish stores.
Cheeses and dairy products from the island of Saaremaa have been available in Finland already for a couple of years, but the popular local Kalev chocolate and confectionery items cannot be bought in Finland as yet. However, Estonia’s membership in the EU has apparently increased the Finns' interest and confidence in Estonian products.
Helsingin Sanomat
