Index of producer prices of agricultural products: documentation of statistics

The index of producer prices of agricultural products covers the whole of Finland with no regional division. The field of observation of the statistics is plant-based products, animals and animal products produced by farmers in Finland that are sold to other farmers or to operators outside the agricultural sector (excluding households).

The commodities included in the index cover the entire population. Prices of low-value products are not separately monitored but their sales values are rolled over to other agricultural commodities in the index weight structure. Thus, the products in the index also represent, due to the weight structure, products not included in the index.

The statistical unit for the index is the farm. The reporting units include slaughterhouses, dairies, packaging plants, producer organizations, companies in the food industry, and individual farmers.

The population of the index of producer prices of agricultural products comprises all the farms operating in Finland that produce agricultural products for the market.

The geographical reference area of the index of producer prices of agricultural products is the whole of Finland.

Time series are available for the latest 2020=100 indices starting from the index data for January 2020. The production of the 2020=100, 2010=100, 2005=100 and 2000=100 series will continue until further notice. The 2000=100 index series is available at the main category level from January 1995 onwards.

The data are updated once a year in connection with the May release, when the data concerning the milk adjustment payments for the previous reference year are updated in the index. This revision affects the total index, as well as the animal output and milk sub-indices. The data may also be revised for other products if, for example, the source data change significantly retrospectively.

The base period of the index of producer prices of agricultural products is 2020 (2020=100). The index series 2020=100 was introduced from the beginning of 2024.

The index data are published as index point figures. The monthly, quarterly and annual change percentages calculated on the basis of the indices are also published.

The reference period of the index of producer prices of agricultural products is a quarter.

The structure of the index is based on Eurostat’s proposal. The six-digit index classification follows, for the most part, the classification of agricultural accounts. The main classification is divided into two main categories, namely output of vegetable products and output of animal products. Classification is presented in more detail in Annex 1 of EU Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1579. In Statistics Finland's classification database, the classification of the index is available in Finnish, Swedish, and English.

The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. The Statistics Act contains provisions on collection of data, processing of data and the obligation to provide data. Besides the Statistics Act, the General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are applied to processing of data when producing statistics.

Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.

Further information: Statistical legislation

The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. The Statistics Act contains provisions on collection of data, processing of data and the obligation to provide data. Besides the Statistics Act, the Data Protection Act and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are applied to processing of data when producing statistics.

Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.  

Further information: Statistical legislation

The EU Agricultural Statistics Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 and its implementing regulation (EU) 2023/1579 supplementing agricultural price statistics guide the compilation of agricultural price indices to the extent applicable. However, the regulation will become fully binding only for the compilation of the indices with base year 2025 (2025=100).

Until 2025, the production of the agricultural producer price index was based on a long-standing “gentlemen’s agreement” with the statistical office of the European Commission, Eurostat.

The compilation of statistics is also indirectly based on the following acts: Regulation (EC) No 138/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the economic accounts for agriculture, the act on the food and natural resources statistics 27.6.2014/562.

Only the necessary data that are not available from administrative data sources are collected from data suppliers.

The agricultural producer price index is published quarterly as a statistical release on the website of Statistics Finland. At the same time, data for the months included in the respective quarter are also published.

In connection with the release for the first quarter of the year, the annual data for the previous year are also published. All of these releases are preliminary until the final agricultural producer price statistics for the previous year are published in connection with the release for the second quarter of the year.

The published producer price indices are transmitted quarterly to Eurostat, which publishes them on its website. The index point figures concerning vegetables, fruit and potatoes, and thus also the aggregate series, transmitted to Eurostat differ from those published nationally. The data transmitted to Eurostat are based on seasonal weights for the above products, i.e. they have different weights in the total index in different quarters.

However, between years, the weight structure for each quarter remains unchanged. The figures nationally published are calculated using weights whose proportion in the total index for the product concerned remains the same in each quarter.

The product price data required for the compilation of the statistics are mainly derived from the statistics on producer prices of agricultural and horticultural products compiled by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). The price data from Luke cover around 88 per cent of the index of producer prices of agricultural products, when measured by the index weights.

The statistics include agricultural and horticultural products with the most significant financial value. Agricultural products are milk, meat, eggs, cereals, turnip rape and rapeseed, and food potato. Horticultural products include carrot, white cabbage, cauliflower, sprouting broccoli, onion, garden pea (fresh production), black currant, strawberry, raspberry, apple, cucumber, tomato, crisphead lettuce (potted and cutted) and herb (potted). 

The rest of the price data needed to compile the index are derived from other statistics, or Statistics Finland requests them from data suppliers (e.g. for fodder crops, sugar beet, starch potatoes, some flowers, honey, and furs). Some of the price data for flowers, seedlings and vegetables are derived from the price statistics of the Finnish Glasshouse Growers’ Association. The association members cover half of the total area of Finnish greenhouse production.

The price data concerning the products monitored by the Finnish Glasshouse Growers’ Association have a weight of five per cent in the index. The price data collected by Statistics Finland have a weight of less than 7 per cent in the index, and the majority of the data concerns furskins. Statistics Finland collects fur prices from fur auctions, which are the main point of sale for furskins.

As a rule, the data of the agricultural price indices are collected on a monthly basis. Price data on products with low price fluctuations are collected quarterly, half-yearly or once a year.

The source data for the index of producer prices of agricultural products are collected mainly from Luke’s website. In addition, data are collected directly from data suppliers by means of Statistics Finland’s online survey or by telephone or from other indices.

Reminders are actively sent for missing data. The data are checked during the compilation of the statistics at both observation and aggregate level. Significant or divergent price changes and changes in products are reviewed and additional information is requested from the data supplier, if necessary. The accuracy of the calculated index point figures is assessed by comparing them with the source data and general market information.

The validated price observations form the statistical data. Temporarily missing price observations are imputed on the basis of changes in the prices of other similar products, or the price of the previous month is used. In the case of permanently missing price observations, a new data supplier is selected from among operators of the same size. The statistics mainly use completed statistics, so the problem of missing observations is not significant.

The index point figures are calculated with the base method using the Laspeyres index formula. The observations are aggregated by weighting coefficients for products and data suppliers to higher product group levels and ultimately into the total index.

Sources of error and factors affecting the accuracy of the statistics may include the lack of price data for part of the year (e.g. for fruit and new potatoes), inadequate handling of product quality changes in the index calculation, sampling error, lack of precision in the index weight structure in the event of major structural changes in agricultural production, insufficient coverage of price data collected from data suppliers, inaccurate data, and possible processing errors.

Quality management requires comprehensive guidance of activities. The European Statistics Code of Practice forms the basis for the common quality system of the European Statistical System.

The Code of Practice is based on 16 principles that concern statistical authorities' independence, accountability and the quality of the processes and data to be published.

The principles are in line with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics approved by the United Nations Statistics Commission and are supplementary to them. The quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland are compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice.

Further information: European Statistics Code of Practice | Statistics Finland and Recommendations of the Advisory Board of Official Statistics of Finland | Statistics Finland

The quality of the index is assessed in several stages of the statistical process. Changes in unit-level data are examined monthly and the correctness of exceptional data is examined. Aggregate level data are also checked.

Revisions – i.e. improvements in the accuracy of statistical data already published – are a normal feature of statistical production and result in improved quality of statistics. The principle is that statistical data are based on the best available data and information concerning the statistical phenomenon. On the other hand, the revisions are communicated as transparently as possible in advance. Advance communication ensures that the users can prepare for the data revisions.

The reason why data in statistical releases become revised is often caused by the data becoming supplemented. Then the new, revised statistical figure is based on a wider information basis and describes the phenomenon more accurately than before.

Revisions of statistical data may also be caused by the calculation method used, such as annual benchmarking or updating of weight structures. Changes of base years and used classifications may also cause revisions to data.

The preliminary yearly and quarterly indices of producer prices of agricultural products are published 45 days after the reference period. Revision notice and thus final statistics are published with a delay of 135 days.

The compilation of the index of producer prices of agricultural products is based on a handbook drawn up jointly by the Member States and Eurostat, as well as, to the extent applicable, EU regulations (EU) 2022/2379 and (EU) 2023/1579. The aim of these regulations is to ensure consistent methods and comparable results across different countries. The aforementioned regulations become fully mandatory only when the base year changes to 2025 (2025=100).

The old index series are not fully comparable with the index series currently in use because the price definitions used for price subsidies and taxation, for example, have changed.

At the time of Finland’s accession to the European Union in 1995, the calculation method of the index of producer prices of agricultural products was changed. From 1990 until February 2000, the index was calculated taking account of price subsidies but excluding other types of subsidies. There exist two index series for this period. Since the beginning of 1995, agriculture became subject to VAT. Price subsidies for agricultural products were largely abolished from the beginning of the 2000s, and they are not taken into account in the current indices.

Time series of agricultural producer prices from the year 2000 are mostly comparable over time.

The reference period for the indices, i.e., the base year, is 2020. Publication of indices with base years 2015=100, 2010=100, 2005=100, and 2000=100 will continue. Only the index of the most recent base year is genuinely calculated, and the time series of older base years are chained forward with the changes of the newest base year.

The agricultural accounts of national accounts and the weight structure of the agricultural price indices are coherent, except for the on-farm consumption and the change in stocks. This is due to methodological differences in the statistics.

Statistics Finland publishes new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in its web service. The release times of statistics are given in advance in the release calendar available in the web service. The data become public after they have been updated in the web service.

Further information: Publication principles for statistics at Statistics Finland

Statistics Finland's release calendar Future publications

Future publications of the statistics can be found on the page of the statistics at: Future publications of the statistics

The data are released to all users at the same time. Statistical data may be processed at Statistics Finland and information on them may be given before release only by persons involved in the production of the statistics concerned or who need the data of the statistics concerned in their own work before the data are published.

Further information: Publication principles for statistics

Unless otherwise specifically stated in connection with the product, data or service concerned, Statistics Finland is the producer and copyright owner of the data. The terms of use for statistical data.

The statistics are published quarterly. The index data will be revised in connection with the May release of the year following the reference year. Retrospective changes to the source data may also lead to data revisions.

The release is published quarterly as well as annually on the home page of the statistics with approximately a 45-day delay from the end of the statistical period. In this context, the monthly data for the quarter are also published. Revision notice and thus final data from the previous year are published with a delay of 135 days.

The database tables of the statistics can be found in the StatFin database. 

Microdata at the unit level of the statistics are used solely for the production of the statistics and for research purposes. Individuals other than those involved in statistical production do not have access to the microdata.

The release of current news, such as news highlights, is decided on a case-by-case basis. Channels for current news include:

• www.tilastokeskus.fi
• www.facebook.com/Tilastotohtori
• https://twitter.com/tilastokeskus.

The data protection of data collected for statistical purposes is guaranteed. The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. Alongside the Statistics Act, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and the Finnish Data Protection Act are applied to the processing of personal data. Provisions on the confidentiality of data collected for statistical purposes are laid down in the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.

The data are processed only by persons who need the data in their work. The use of data is restricted by usage rights. All persons employed by Statistics Finland have signed a pledge of secrecy, where they have obliged to keep secret the data prescribed as confidential by virtue of the Statistics Act or the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.

Further information: Data protection | Statistics Finland (stat.fi)

In published statistics, data are reported at a level at which data on an individual data supplier cannot be identified. In the data transmitted to Eurostat, such data are labelled as confidential.