The so-called “1000 cows” farm, located between Drucat-le-Plessiel and Buigny-Saint-Maclou, near Abbeville (Somme), will have definitively ceased its dairy activity on December 31.
It is the end of ten years of controversy and six years of exploitation.
Because, very quickly, the giant farm project wanted by Michel Ramery, contractor of public works, aroused strong opposition.
The Confédération paysanne was first illegally invited to the site, on September 12, 2013, then on May 28, 2014, to dismantle the milking machine.
On the following September 13, the first milking of 150 cows takes place.
But while the SCEA Côte de la Justice is only authorized to accommodate 500 animals, in June 2015, a former employee denounces the poor living conditions of the animals and their number, much greater.
A check follows: nearly 800 cows are counted.
"There, we were losing money"
The beginning of a legal battle that will go to the Council of State.
“To date, no final judgment has been pronounced, we considered that we were within our right to form groups,” explains Véronique Rétaux, spokesperson for the SCEA.
But we decided to stop, because it's been six years that we are in the artistic vagueness about the permissions on our abilities.
At 1000 cows, we were profitable.
There we were losing money.
In addition, the Belgian dairy Milcobel, the only one that accepted to collect our milk, had announced to us that it was refocusing its activities on its country.
"
But she does not regret anything: “We are sad to stop such a model and proud to have opened this way.
Many people came to visit.
Everyone could see that the cows were well cared for.
Moreover, no other farm in France has had to be controlled like ours!
The Web-agri website launched a poll: 59.1% of readers believe that this is a real waste.
“It's a shame,” comments Guillaume Clop, president of the Young Farmers of the Somme.
There was no doubt as to animal welfare, as the milk was of good quality.
Having associations against you on your back must be heavy on a daily basis.
"
The Bardot Foundation wants to recover the cows
For his part, Franchis Chastagner, president of the local association Novissen, does not hide his satisfaction: “We have been fighting this farm for ten years.
It's just agribusiness at a time when we are in dairy overproduction.
This proves that this was not the breeding model to choose.
Their biogas plant never worked.
All this is economic delinquency.
We now want to keep an eye on the future of the 1,700 cows and heifers.
The Confédération paysanne, for its part, evokes a "major victory".
A small part of the herd should be sold to breeders.
The others will take the direction of the slaughterhouse.
The Brigitte-Bardot foundation proposed to recover them to place them in boarding school.
Mathieu Ramery, son of the deceased founder, refused: “We find that dramatic, unbelievable.
They don't deserve that, ”comments Christophe Marie, spokesperson for the foundation.
The SCEA Côte de la Justice will continue its agricultural exploitation of 1000 hectares.
It currently employs 25 people.
Some will be reclassified.
As for the buildings, they could be converted into the breeding of meat animals or even into logistics platforms.
