Consumption and production of herbs in Finland

Authors

• Seija Hälvä Department of Horticulture, University of Helsinki, SF-00710 HELSINKI, Finland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.72209

Abstract

A study on the consumption and production of spice and medicinal herbs in Finland was carried out in 1983. There are approximately 150 commercial herb plant growers in Finland. Most of the farmers grow leafy herbs; only ten percent grow seed (botanically also fruit) spices e.g. caraway and mustard. The total cultivation area for leafy herbs is 30 hectares; for dill 14 and for parsley 12 hectares. Seed spices are grown on 130 hectares, most of this is devoted to mustard. Finland is almost self sufficient for fresh dill and parsley, but dry herbs are mostly imported. Self-sufficiency of caraway is 40 % and mustard 20 % while the other herbs and spices are also mostly imported. The total herb and spice import in 1982 was approximately 30 million Finnmarks, half of which was for the import of the so-called exotic spices. The total import of those herbs that could be cultivated in Finland was 17 million FIM. The most promising of these being mustard, garlic, chamomile, mints, dill and parsley.