For feeling well. The Rural Development Programme exists so that people and the environment all over the country would feel well. The programme aims to revitalise and strengthen businesses, to boost people’s potential for influence and to improve the state of the environment.
The Rural Development Programme for Mainland Finland will continue to develop the countryside to make it even more viral than before! (The text continues after the video.)
The vitality of the countryside is dependent on the activity of the people and the versatility of the business life and the range of services. By using funding provided by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural dvelopment as well as by the government, municipalities and private investors, the preconditions for etrepreneurship and employment have been improved, food production has been modernised and services have been developed.
Results of the programme period 2007-2013
| Metrics | Target | Results | Further information |
| Jobs | 10 580 jobs, of which 6 500 are full time jobs | 6 562 new jobs, contributing to the creation of approximately 75 000 other jobs | |
| Total number of approved applications for financial support for projects and businesses | 24 000 | 16 789 | |
| - of which the number of development projects is | | 5793 | on average €102 000/project |
| - of which the number of data communication projects is | | 80 | on average €330 000/project |
| - of which the number of business subsidies is | | 10 916 | on average € 13 700/enterprise |
| Number of projects funded by the various Leader groups (included in the previous figure) | 7,200 | 7 471 | |
| - of which the number of development projects is | | 4 192 | on average €37 800/project |
| - of which the number of business subsidies is | | 3 279 | on average €10 000/project |
| Number of start-up support payments for young farmers | 3 100 | 2 949 | |
| Number of young farmers receiving support | 3 700 | 3 513 | |
| Average age of young farmers receiving support | 29 years | 29 years | |
| Number of applicants receiving agricultural investment subsidies | 1 600 | 1 823 | |
| Acreage in millions of hectares of the commitment area for which natural handicap payments are paid | 2.16 | 2.14 | |
| Number of farms receiving natural handicap payments | 53 000 | 53 100 | |
| Number of farms receiving environment payments | 50 500 | 52 663 | |
| Acreage in millions of hectares of the commitment area for which environment subsidies are paid | 2.16 | 2.16 | |
| Acreage in hectares of the area for which environment subsidies are paid under specific aid contracts | 327 500 | 382 100 | |
| Acreage of organic production in hectares (area receiving subsidies) | 200 000 | 185 037 | |
| Number of farms receiving subsidies for the promotion of animal welfare | 7 500 | 6 196 | |
| - of which the number of cattle farms is | 6 000 | 5 362 | |
| - of which the number of pig farms is | 1 500 | 834 | |
| Number of farms and other land users receiving non-productive investments | 600 | 338 | |
| Nitrogen balance, kg/hectare | 46 | 48.8 | |
| Phosphorus balance, kg/hectare | 5 | 3.9 | |
