Norwegians pay more than neighbors

A recent report from the government food chain assessment committee (Matkjedeutvalget) shows that  Norwegians pay 23 percent more for their food and staple goods than Swedes. The steep price of local agricultural commodities, coupled with high purchase cost on international goods allows merchants to jack up the prices on the remaining goods in order to [...]

Food gulps up more funding

The Norwegian government, which already grants huge subsidies to local agriculture, has also been spending millions to promote home-grown food. Now it plans to fund a competition and award prizes to boost its quality. Given the level of taxpayers’ money earmarked for the program, some may argue the food producers have won already. Agriculture Minister [...]

Debate simmers over food prices

Shopping at a Norwegian grocery store can still be an expensive affair, but state statistics show food prices in Norway declined last year for the first time since 1998. While some meat prices fell, however, seafood and produce prices have jumped. That has set off concerns that healthy food costs more, meaning that Norwegian food [...]

New drinks debate bubbles up

Farmers’ attempts to sell their locally produced alcoholic beverages on site have set off another drinks debate in Norway, and threaten to divide one of the goverment’s coalition parties. Agriculture Minister Lars Peder Brekk of the small, farmer-friendly Center Party has spent time this summer visiting several farms that want to generate new sources of [...]

‘Winemakers should be able to sell’

Sale of alcoholic beverages is strictly controlled in Norway, but now some politicians are suggesting that local producers in rural districts should be able to sell their cider, wine and beer on site. Several farmers have tried their hand at making such products as fermented cider from their apples in Hardanger, or even wine from [...]

Lutefisk and lefse lose out to pizza

Norway is known for its unusual ethnic foods like lutefisk (cod preserved in caustic soda) and lefse (like a tortilla, but made from potatoes), but some new statistics suggest the national dish is actually frozen pizza. The brand introduced in Norway a few decades ago, called Grandiosa, remains stunningly popular among Norwegians. It commands half [...]

Food festival draws thousands

An estimated 250,000 people were expected to indulge themselves at the annual Gladmat food festival in Stavanger this week, just as news was breaking that Norwegians throw away as much as a quarter of the food sold at the grocery store. The cast-offs may be fueled by expiration dates marked on food packaging that some [...]

Farmers try again, with niche food

Local farmers are once again setting their sights on niche products, hoping they can attract new revenues by producing and packaging specialty items that offer a “taste of Norway” to consumers willing to pay premium prices. State officials have been pushing niche products for years, and now they’re setting aside NOK 62 million to help [...]

Angry farmers sit down for talks

Norwegian farmers were bitterly disappointed with the government’s subsidy offer, but agreed this week to negotiations anyway. The farmers want their annual subsidy raised by nearly NOK 1.9 billion, but the state is only offering NOK 750 million. The farmers already get nearly NOK 20 billion (about USD 3.3 billion) a year in direct and [...]

Farmers want more money

Norway’s politically strong farming lobby wants nearly NOK 1.9 billion (USD 320 million) in additional state support this year, and handed their demand to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food on Tuesday. That formally sets off the equivalent of labour negotiations for this year. Farmers’ unions want a substantial pay raise, even though their demand [...]

Rancher turns muck into money

Dung from 10,000 egg-laying hens used to be a costly problem until an innovative chicken rancher began to bag it and sell it to eager gardeners. Arne Braut Jr has made money the last 20 years by making lawns greener in nearby Stavanger and Sandnes. “You have to add what the grass needs, much as the [...]