Satellite imagery and AI to target 100 farms in Kanta-Häme and Pirkanmaa for summer subsidy checks

Field inspections of area-based farm subsidy claims began in early July across Kanta-Häme and Pirkanmaa. Around 100 farms are scheduled for full on-site checks, while satellite imagery and AI will monitor compliance year-round, Tamperelainen reports.

The Regional Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Inland Finland selects farms partly at random and partly on risk grounds. Roughly 2% of area-based subsidy applicants, about 100 farms in the region, will receive full on-site inspections through mid-November. "On an inspection visit, we check that field parcel areas and crops match the information reported in the subsidy application, and we also monitor compliance with conditionality and the accuracy of documents," said acting unit head Juha Levomäki. If breaches of subsidy conditions are found, authorities can issue a warning, cut payments or reclaim already paid subsidies.

Satellite monitoring has been used since 2023 for area-based applicants. The Finnish Food Authority combines those images with AI to compare photographs taken at different times against the farmer's application. Unclear cases trigger a request for clarification via the Vipu mobile app, usually between late July and late September. Farmers can correct their application or send a geotagged photo. They are advised to respond promptly, because an on-site inspection locks the opportunity to amend the claim for that farm or those plots. The AI interpretation is being refined with weekly ground data, but cloudy weather can still produce erroneous clarification requests.

The inspections follow similar risk-based checks Tampere carried out this spring on household food-waste composters in six municipalities.