Milking cows morning and evening 365 days a year, high instability of milk prices indexed to world prices, low income, lack of recognition… These are all factors that push farmers to abandon farming prematurely or deter young people from choosing this job.
According to the latest social barometer from the dairy industry (National Interprofessional Center for the Dairy Economy) carried out on a representative sample of 52,000 French breeders, nearly a third of them plan to reduce or even stop the production within the next five years.
The others think they will keep it at the same level, or even increase it in 11% of cases.
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Milk: the rise in prices insufficient to retain breeders
“
The retirements explain a little less than half of the stoppages or decreases in production,
comments Noëlle Paolo, head of studies at Cniel.
In 20% of cases, financial reasons such as the too low price of milk or the lack of visibility on the evolution of the sector are put forward. Finally, the excessive workload and the impossibility of free time is the third main reason put forward by breeders (11%), not to mention the lack of recognition of the profession by society (7%). ”
So many negative elements that dissuade young candidates, whether or not they come from an agricultural background, to choose the dairy route.
“We have one of our two sons who would like to take over the farm after us. He hates office work and masters dairy farming and farming well
, says Jean-Paul, in his late fifties, breeder of Norman cows in Mayenne, in the canton of Évron.
On the other hand, seeing us slaving away early in the morning and late at night for a very low income, with increasingly important environmental constraints while having more administrative tasks, does not encourage him to take over. This does not encourage us to encourage him to choose this path either. "
Especially since the couple has never gone on vacation since they started farming. One case among many others which explains that the profession of breeder is no longer successful. In about twenty years, the number of dairy farmers has fallen by more than half in France, from 120,000 to less than 52,000 in 2019, according to the latest statistics from Cniel.
The regions most affected by this disaffection are those which produce the most milk in France (54.6%), that is to say those of the great West (Brittany, Pays de la Loire and Normandy).
Almost 40% of farmers think they will reduce or even end their dairy activity.
The conventional breeders (35%) are slightly more likely to ease off than those in organic, as well as small farms - 20 to 40 cows - (42%).
The average size of dairy herds reaches 68 animals in France, almost double that in 2000.
Diversify the activity
However, there are counter-examples. In Brittany, in the heart of the tricolor dairy basin in the country of Saint-Malo, François Bouillis, son of a peasant, in his late twenties, returned to the family farm with ideas gleaned during his studies and internships. Agricultural diplomas in hand, including a master cheese maker license acquired in Poligny, in the Jura, he set up a laboratory for the production of raw milk cheeses. Local individuals, creameries and specialty stores on the Emerald Coast, ensure a well-filled order book, in six months of activity. "
We are already at year three of our forecast in terms of sales
," assures François.
We have to refuse orders. ”
Enough to bring back a smile to his parents and ensure a future for the family farm, for three generations, of Ker Lannoué
(“place of moors” in Breton, Editor's note)
.
“We are not about to stop the milk. We regained the motivation to milk the cows because we have recognition in our work through direct sales
, explains Yannick.
Customers appreciate our products. Today, 90 cows are milked per day. About 10% of their milk is used in cheeses. The rest is sold to the Saint-Malo dairy. We have invested the equivalent of the price of a house in a cheese factory. We had to diversify our activity because our stony lands are not made for arable crops and are better valued by breeding.
»Cottage cheese, fresh or matured cheese… the range is wide. Because of the confinement, the products must be ordered on the Ker Lannoué website.
"Financially, it is three times more remuneration but it is also four times more work"
, recognizes the young cheese maker.
The ransom of glory.
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His case is not isolated and shows that, in the French countryside, it is still possible to get involved in the dairy sector because it represents a way of the future. Provided you have a good command of the profession and its constraints.
"It is necessary to prepare the next generation by restoring the attractiveness of the profession of breeder, in particular by showing all its contributions in terms of regional planning, job creation and contribution to French gastronomy"
, insists Guillaume. Chevrollier, senator from Pays de la Loire, vice-president of the Territorial Planning Commission.
