Project information:
Official name of the project: Tulevaisuuden lammasteollisuus, valmisteluraha
Duration of the project: 1.8.2025 - 30.9.2025
Project coordinator: VAMK
Project partners: ProAgria
Funding: ELY Centre Rural Funding,
Budget: 5 000 €
Contact person in VAMK:
Tanja-Maria Davidov, Project Manager (RDI and Business Unit)
tel. +358 207 663 660, tanja-maria.davidov@vamk.fi
Project description
The project is a preliminary study to be carried out with preparatory funding, with the aim of designing a group project for Finnish lamb producers to develop their export activities. There is recognized demand for Finnish lamb meat and lamb products on the international market, but the challenge for the sector is the small size and lack of organization of the operators, which makes internationalization difficult. The project will create a cooperation and operating model that will enable the sector to scale up for export.
The need has been identified in a previous international rural project, which found demand for Finnish sheep products abroad (e.g., in Germany). Sheep producers have expressed interest in exporting, but the current structure of the industry does not support internationalization. The target group is Finnish lamb producers, particularly in the regions of Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, South Ostrobothnia, Satakunta, and Southwest Finland.
Goals
The goals of the preparatory grant are:
- To identify and specify the actors involved in the group project.
- To plan the measures and implementation of the group project.
- To create an operating model that supports the internationalization and export of pond producers.
- Prepare the actual business group project for 2026.
Results
The preparatory funding will be used to identify participants and partners for the group project in order to form a strong and effective network of Finnish pond producers. At the same time, an operating model will be developed to support export-oriented cooperation and create the conditions for the industry to organize itself for internationalization. During the project, the foundation will be laid for the actual group project, which will be implemented after the funding decision and will be used to develop concrete measures for entering the export market.
In addition, the capacity of lamb producers for international operations will be strengthened by providing information, plans, and cooperation structures that will help overcome current challenges, such as the small size and fragmentation of operators. The aim is that, after the preparatory phase, Finnish pond producers will have a clear operating model and a common strategy that will enable them to compete in the international market.
