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Finnish retail specialist Kesko – with around 2,000 stores in the Nordic and Baltic countries, and Russia – has added dairy products to its Pirkka range of goods. The Pirkka product range is complemented by light and skimmed milk, low-lactose cream and dairy butter.

The half-litre skimmed milk is a new product in the Finnish market and has been introduced in response to demand from small households.

"Pirkka products are used regularly in our daily lives. The absence of ordinary milk from the range has been a clear deficiency,” said Kesko Food Vice President for Commerce, Ari Akseli.

The products are supplied by established Finnish dairy company Osuuskunta Maitokolmio. "It took us long to find a suitable supplier. We're pleased to begin cooperation with a smaller domestic operator and offer them an opportunity to cooperate with such a large volume product,” added Akseli.

"Kesko Food has been very positive and open-minded about the development and introduction of the product family. Such an attitude encourages small and medium enterprises to show their competencies and develop their operations," says Osuuskunta Maitokolmio Managing Director, Juha Murto-Koivisto.