According to Kuznetsov & Tokarev (2000), c. 15,000 ha of the Suojärvi District mires is sites with considerable cowberry growth. They yield 100 to 5000 ton of berries per year (about 1500 ton on average). Cloudberry-rich sites occupy some 10,000 ha in the district, their productivity also highly variable - from nearly zero to 1000 ton per year.

Fig.1. Cowberry

Belonogova & Litinskaya (2000) report that the district possesses significant resources of medicinal plants and wild berries (tab.). There is vast potential for raising the harvests of these non-timber forest products.

Tab. 1 Exploitable resources of some non-timber forest products

Resource	Areas of harvestable sites, ha	Stand area, ha	Stock (ADW*)
			biological, t	commercial, т
Cowberry
leaves	5870	500	125	63
stalks	5870	500	150	77
Bilberry
fruit	1600	330	3	1
leaves	5180	890	67	33
Marsh Labrador tea
shoots	1960	490	250	176
Tormentil
roots	-	22	12	3

* - air-dry weight

In good years the district would yield up to 4,000 ton of cowberry and to 4,500 ton of bilberry. In lean years, the yield may drop to 200 and 200-300 ton, respectively.

Just a decade ago, various organizations harvested up to 3 ton of about 20 medicinal plant species. At present, harvesting is not so significant although all the pre-requisites for intensive utilization of medicinal plant stocks are available. The biological resources of the medicinal plants suitable for commercial harvesting amount to 607 ton. Annually, up to 353 ton can be harvested.

Data for the year 2001

Fig.2. Cranberry