Milk Cartons Feature Finland's Countryside

Following its enormously popular Poetry of Milk theme, Valio is bringing a piece of the countryside to its milk cartons portraying real dairy farmers.

Following its enormously popular Poetry of Milk theme, Valio is bringing a piece of the countryside to its milk cartons portraying real dairy farmers. Valio milk cartons and the campaign website will introduce 24 Finnish farmers from different parts of the country.

The aim is to remind us all of the importance of a dairy farmer's work. The campaign will run in Finland from the beginning of March to the end of April. The dairy farmers' stories tell of their farms, families and limited leisure. One thing all the farmers have in common is a demanding seven day working week, 365 days a year. Dairy farming is a natural form of agriculture for Finland and accounts for 44% of the country's agricultural income, and in the Kainuu region of north-eastern Finland the figure is as high as 90%. While the number of dairy farmers has fallen in recent years, farm sizes have grown.

"Finland produces the cleanest milk in the EU, a measure not only of the expertise of Finnish dairy farmers but also of the fact that Valio, among others, has invested a great deal in advisory services concerning for example cattle care and feeding. As a result, we enjoy high-quality dairy products of known origin," says Valio Marketing Manager Tuula Hietanen.

Valio is a Finnish company owned by 23 dairy co-operatives made up of more than 11 000 Finnish dairy farmers. The company takes in 86% or around 1.9 billion litres per year of all milk produced in Finland. The Valio dairy farmers' cows provide over five million litres of milk every day which is then processed in Valio's 14 production plants in Finland.

"Valio bears a great responsibility for securing dairy farming in Finland. People don't always remember how important it is that Finns have populated and cared for the rural landscape all the way to the northernmost parts of the country. And sometimes may forget the significance of remaining self-sufficient in fresh dairy products. This campaign helps to express our appreciation of the dairy farmers' work and make that work more visible to all," stresses Annikka Hurme, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Valio.