A number of tractors were parked outside Parliament House in downtown Helsinki on Thursday as part of a protest by farmers over their growing concerns about the future of Finnish agriculture.
According to Yle's information, the demonstration was not arranged or backed by any specific organisation or political group — but instead by private individuals.
A protest spokesperson, agricultural entrepreneur Mikko Salmu, told Yle at the scene that participants wanted to sound an alarm about Finland's food supplies and agricultural policies.
"Food is running out. Farms are decreasing in number and the harvests aren't improving so much that food is sufficient in stores and many other places," explained Salmu, who is also an administrator of a Facebook group called Tractor March 2026 (Traktorimarssi 2026 in Finnish).
As an example, he cited last year's shortage of minced meat that left many supermarket shelves empty for long periods, adding that similar shortages will become common over the next ten years.
With costs increasing and the average age of farmers rising, Salmu further noted that young people are needed in the sector to ensure Finland's security of supply.
According to Chief Inspector Denis Pasterstein of the Helsinki Police Department, the protest did not cause any disruptions to traffic in the city centre.
He added that it is permitted to drive a tractor in urban areas, as long as it is properly registered.
