Farmers' union leader to take new job in Brussels

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Esa Härmälä, President of the he Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK), announced on Tuesday that he is resigning from his post in April this year.
      Härmälä, who has held his current post since 1994, will go to Brussels to head the European Fertilizer Manufacturers Association (EFMA) as of mid-May.
      Härmälä insists that there are no political motives behind his decision. The powerful agricultural faction of the Centre Party has accused the party of forgetting Finland's farmers, but Härmälä insists that the affairs of the Centre Party have nothing to do with his departure from the farmers' union.
      "I have been here for 12 years and it would seem to be a typical time for many tasks. For instance, the time that a person can serve as President is restricted to 12 years, and [the Centre Party's] Esko Aho and [the Social Democrats'] Paavo Lipponen both served as party chairmen for 12 years. It is usually in the neighbourhood of 10-15 years that people stay in these jobs."
     
Härmälä adds that the move also brings new challenges, even though there is no feeling of "enough is enough" in his present post.
      EFMA represents Europe's largest fertilizer manufacturers. Its Finnish members include Kemira and Growhow.
     
Härmälä's successor at MTK will be chosen on April 6th at a meeting of the union's delegate council. According to the council's chairman, Juha Saikkonen, no names have come up yet.
      "We need to stop for a moment to think what kind of a person to look for. Let's hope that there is a good name to put forward in April."


Links:
  Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK)
  European Fertilizer Manufacturers Association (EFMA)

Helsingin Sanomat