French Farmers and Montbéliardes Shape Milk Prices for Comté Cheese
Source: DairyNews.today
In the heart of France’s Comté region, dairy farmer Earl Bichet demonstrates how tradition, innovation, and strategic farming practices allow small-scale producers to dictate milk prices while maintaining quality and sustainability.
Bichet’s family farm in Etray, now in its third generation, specializes in Montbéliarde cattle, a breed essential for producing Comté cheese. With 43 cows providing milk year-round, Bichet sends 320,000 liters annually to a local cheese cooperative. This cooperative model, managed by 26 farmers who employ and pay staff directly, eliminates third-party involvement, empowering farmers to control milk pricing.
A Farm Focused on Efficiency and Quality
Since taking over the 80-hectare farm in 2006, Bichet has modernized operations, installing an eight-unit milking parlor and enhancing cow housing with locking barriers and cubicles. Milking runs twice daily, taking under an hour, while milk is collected daily to ensure freshness for Comté production.
Montbéliarde cows graze extensively for six to seven months each year and are fed dry hay indoors during winter, adhering to strict requirements under the Comté cheese contract. The contract caps milk production at 4,600 kg/ha and prohibits fermented feeds, ensuring high-quality milk rich in protein and favorable for cheese-making.
Bichet’s herd produces 8,000 kg of milk per lactation at 4.07% fat and 3.45% protein, yielding 600 kg of milk solids per cow annually. The milk’s premium composition earns Bichet an average of €740 per ton (€0.74/L), above the base price of €690, reflecting his commitment to quality.
Why Montbéliardes Are Essential
Montbéliarde cattle are integral to Comté cheese production due to their superior milk quality. Their milk yields 80% more cheese compared to Holstein milk, thanks to higher protein levels and favorable beta and kappa casein content.
Bichet invests heavily in herd genetics, breeding 25 heifers annually to enhance traits like protein yield, udder quality, and hoof health. He selects bulls with characteristics that improve grazing capacity, longevity, and calving ease.
Sustainability and Market Focus
The cooperative’s model emphasizes small-scale, sustainable farming. With one cow per 2 hectares, the system creates scarcity and supports higher milk prices. By prioritizing quality over quantity, Bichet and his fellow farmers cater to a niche market with robust demand for premium cheese.
Breeding and Young Stock Management
Bichet adopts a rigorous breeding strategy, using 50% Montbéliarde sexed semen, 25% conventional semen, and 25% beef semen to optimize herd genetics and profitability. Bull calves, sold at three weeks old, fetch an average of €340, often to Italian buyers.
Heifers, served at 18-20 months, calve between 27 and 29 months to ensure consistent milk production year-round. The farm achieves a calving interval of 377 days, with a 55% conception rate on first service using sexed semen.
Lessons for Other Markets
Bichet’s approach highlights the potential for smaller-scale farming systems to balance economic viability and sustainability. By focusing on extensive grazing, controlled production, and quality, farmers like Bichet avoid the pressure of increasing herd sizes and chasing milk volume at the expense of price stability.
The Comté model demonstrates how localized, cooperative-driven dairy systems can create a robust market, offering lessons for farmers worldwide on achieving profitability without overextending resources.
A Farm Focused on Efficiency and Quality
Since taking over the 80-hectare farm in 2006, Bichet has modernized operations, installing an eight-unit milking parlor and enhancing cow housing with locking barriers and cubicles. Milking runs twice daily, taking under an hour, while milk is collected daily to ensure freshness for Comté production.
Montbéliarde cows graze extensively for six to seven months each year and are fed dry hay indoors during winter, adhering to strict requirements under the Comté cheese contract. The contract caps milk production at 4,600 kg/ha and prohibits fermented feeds, ensuring high-quality milk rich in protein and favorable for cheese-making.
Bichet’s herd produces 8,000 kg of milk per lactation at 4.07% fat and 3.45% protein, yielding 600 kg of milk solids per cow annually. The milk’s premium composition earns Bichet an average of €740 per ton (€0.74/L), above the base price of €690, reflecting his commitment to quality.
Why Montbéliardes Are Essential
Montbéliarde cattle are integral to Comté cheese production due to their superior milk quality. Their milk yields 80% more cheese compared to Holstein milk, thanks to higher protein levels and favorable beta and kappa casein content.
Bichet invests heavily in herd genetics, breeding 25 heifers annually to enhance traits like protein yield, udder quality, and hoof health. He selects bulls with characteristics that improve grazing capacity, longevity, and calving ease.
Sustainability and Market Focus
The cooperative’s model emphasizes small-scale, sustainable farming. With one cow per 2 hectares, the system creates scarcity and supports higher milk prices. By prioritizing quality over quantity, Bichet and his fellow farmers cater to a niche market with robust demand for premium cheese.
Breeding and Young Stock Management
Bichet adopts a rigorous breeding strategy, using 50% Montbéliarde sexed semen, 25% conventional semen, and 25% beef semen to optimize herd genetics and profitability. Bull calves, sold at three weeks old, fetch an average of €340, often to Italian buyers.
Heifers, served at 18-20 months, calve between 27 and 29 months to ensure consistent milk production year-round. The farm achieves a calving interval of 377 days, with a 55% conception rate on first service using sexed semen.
Lessons for Other Markets
Bichet’s approach highlights the potential for smaller-scale farming systems to balance economic viability and sustainability. By focusing on extensive grazing, controlled production, and quality, farmers like Bichet avoid the pressure of increasing herd sizes and chasing milk volume at the expense of price stability.
The Comté model demonstrates how localized, cooperative-driven dairy systems can create a robust market, offering lessons for farmers worldwide on achieving profitability without overextending resources.
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