Finland’s large forests provide a livelihood for 50 000 gatherers of natural products during high season.
Each year wild berries are being gathered to a value of 200 million euro, forest mushrooms to a value of 100 million euro and other natural products to a value of 20 million euro. More than half of the revenue from mushroom gathering accrues in Eastern Finland and more than half of the revenue from picking wild berries accrues in Lapland. The gathering season starts in spring and it continues far into the autumn. The mushroom picking season starts in May and it continues until snowfall. The berry picking season starts in July and lasts until forests acquire their autumn colours and the time is ripe for picking cowberries and cranberries.
In good berry years the harvest may amount to 50 million kilos, of which 35 million kilos are consumed on the domestic market and 15 million kilos are exported. This year an estimated 7 to 9 million kilos of forest berries are expected to come on the market. The quantity of mushrooms is expected to be from half a million to one million kilos. In good mushroom years as much as 1000 million kilos of edible mushrooms grow in Finland’s forests.
Studies indicate that almost 70 per cent of all Finns pick berries, less than half pick mushrooms and one fifth gathers herbs.