Cereals are imported to Finland every year from abroad. This is done even if the Finnish yield is good, because all of the cereals produced will not be fit for consumption. Durum wheat, which is used to make pasta, is also not produced domestically. It is imported to Finland from the Mediterranean. 

All rice and maize consumed in Finland comes from other countries, as well. About half of the rye consumed in Finland is imported. 

During bad agricultural years, almost all of the Finnish cereals are imported. This is done to guarantee that there will not be a shortage of cereal even when the summer is unfit for plant growth. 

In the past, when there were bad agricultural years, it was not always possible to buy cereal from elsewhere. When this happened, people survived by replacing cereals with other food products.