Poor Aqpik harvest in Finland

SIKU CIRCUMPOLAR NEWS SERVICE

The Finnish food industry may stop producing some items that contain cloudberries, or aqpiks, this year after a poor harvest has made the berries too expensive.

Cloudberry-pickers were paid a minimum of 10 euros ($14) per kilogram this year.

Cloudberries are difficult to cultivate as the pistil and stamens are usually in different plants. In other words, there must be both types present in each area. Also, insects are required for the pollination, and insects are not active in cold weather.

But some Finnish farms are doing their best to cultivate the berries and bring their price down. A few farms are already growing cloudberry seedlings on marshy fields, and the first harvest should be available for market in a couple of years.

This could guarantee the future supply and stable price of the berries.