Everything you need to know about milk and dairy products, the different steps involved in processing them, their diversity and health benefits. Also, practical information such as how to read food labels, make homemade dairy products,…Dairy Products website
All about how CNIEL serves the French dairy industry. The organization addresses a wide range of issues, from the dairy economy, international business and promotion, to technology and scientific research. Its work is aimed at helping dairy producers and processors to anticipate market developments and build a strong future.Cniel Infos website
Dairy farmers work to the age-old rhythm of nature and the seasons while adapting to modern challenges: business strategy, quality guarantees, respecting the environment and health/safety requirements, animal welfare and so on.
French farming cultivates a unique identity, featuring nearly 62,000 farms in 2015, each with about 50 cows or up to 100 in the largest – nothing like the 5,000 cows commonly found on Californian ranches or the three-cow herds in India.
Spread out across virtually the whole country, French dairy farms support the rural economy and local...
French farming cultivates a unique identity, featuring nearly 62,000 farms in 2015, each with about 50 cows or up to 100 in the largest – nothing like the 5,000 cows commonly found on Californian ranches or the three-cow herds in India.
Spread out across virtually the whole country, French dairy farms support the rural economy and local employment, while helping to protect the countryside.
Just like society, the profile of milk producers is changing: fewer and fewer farmers come from farming families or work as husband-and-wife teams. These days, the most common set-up for dairy farms is the collective (GAEC – groupement agricole d’exploitation en commun) or limited company (EARL – exploitation agricole à responsabilité limitée) run by...
Just like society, the profile of milk producers is changing: fewer and fewer farmers come from farming families or work as husband-and-wife teams. These days, the most common set-up for dairy farms is the collective (GAEC – groupement agricole d’exploitation en commun) or limited company (EARL – exploitation agricole à responsabilité limitée) run by parents, their offspring or neighbours.
Holstein (known as Prim'Holstein in France), the country’s most popular breed: 66% of the national herd / approximately 8,000 kg of milk per year
Montbeliarde (especially in East France): 12% of the national herd / approximately 6,500 kg of milk per year
Normande (especially in West France): 17.5% of the national herd / approximately 6,000 kg of milk per year...
Holstein (known as Prim'Holstein in France), the country’s most popular breed: 66% of the national herd / approximately 8,000 kg of milk per year
Montbeliarde (especially in East France): 12% of the national herd / approximately 6,500 kg of milk per year
Normande (especially in West France): 17.5% of the national herd / approximately 6,000 kg of milk per year
More local, breeds complete France’s milk production, such as Abondance, Tarentaise or Brune / approximately 5,000 kg of milk per year
Farmers are well-equipped, well-connected entrepreneurs, for whom good IT tools are essential! Being out and about on their farms, they increasingly use smartphones.
- For management: including accounting, legal, administrative and regulatory matters (e.g. declaring calf births).
- For their herds: receiving smartphone information on the behaviour of individual cows (e.g. calving alerts) thanks to microchip tags on...
Farmers are well-equipped, well-connected entrepreneurs, for whom good IT tools are essential! Being out and about on their farms, they increasingly use smartphones.
- For management: including accounting, legal, administrative and regulatory matters (e.g. declaring calf births).
- For their herds: receiving smartphone information on the behaviour of individual cows (e.g. calving alerts) thanks to microchip tags on the animals.
- For milk quality: getting the results of milk analyses online.
- For the weather: specific websites and apps help farmers to make decisions on work in the fields.
The meadow attached to any dairy farm is used as pasture, where cows graze fresh grass in the spring and summer.
In May to June, when the grass grows fastest (beyond the needs of the herd), some of it can be cut and dried. This hay becomes a stock of forage that is given to cattle when grass is lacking in the winter, as well as in the...
The meadow attached to any dairy farm is used as pasture, where cows graze fresh grass in the spring and summer.
In May to June, when the grass grows fastest (beyond the needs of the herd), some of it can be cut and dried. This hay becomes a stock of forage that is given to cattle when grass is lacking in the winter, as well as in the summer (during droughts).
After grass, corn silage is the most commonly used forage for dairy cows.
Corn is harvested with a silage harvester while still green. The harvester cuts the plants and chops them into 2 cm pieces.
The corn is then kept in an airtight silo. Grass silage can also be made in this way.
To produce milk, cows need a balanced diet, especially when lactating, to provide energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. Forage alone does not always meet all these needs.
For example, a cow that eats 60-80 kg of forage, grass or corn per day also receives 2-5 kg of cereals (for energy) and oilcake made from soya, sunflower or colza (for protein).
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To produce milk, cows need a balanced diet, especially when lactating, to provide energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. Forage alone does not always meet all these needs.
For example, a cow that eats 60-80 kg of forage, grass or corn per day also receives 2-5 kg of cereals (for energy) and oilcake made from soya, sunflower or colza (for protein).
Cereals and certain types of oilcake can be produced on the farm or elsewhere in France. Soya oilcakes (on average 2.5% of a dairy cow’s rations) are mostly imported.
Milking punctuates the lives of dairy farmers and their cows: twice a day, every day of the week.
This is a special moment for farmers and each of their cows, a chance to check that the animals are in good health. Before every milking session, farmers clean and dry the udder then draw the first jets by hand to check the milk’s flow.
For hygiene reasons, the milking shed and...
Milking punctuates the lives of dairy farmers and their cows: twice a day, every day of the week.
This is a special moment for farmers and each of their cows, a chance to check that the animals are in good health. Before every milking session, farmers clean and dry the udder then draw the first jets by hand to check the milk’s flow.
For hygiene reasons, the milking shed and the entire installation (pipes, etc.) are cleaned completely at the end of each milking.
An alternative to machine milking is becoming more popular: 5% of French dairy farms are equipped with milking robots.
During milking, milk is sent to a refrigerated tank to be cooled from 37°C – its temperature in the cow’s udder – to 4°C, its storage temperature.
Farmers install the milk tank in dedicated premises that are clean and accessible to the collector’s tanker.
Farmers build their cowsheds to suit the local climate. Good ventilation is essential to cows’ welfare so the building must be ventilated to enable air to circulate without drafts. For the cows’ comfort, bedding is changed regularly.
On average, each cow has a 6m2 space and moves freely in its stall. The bedding, which is often made of...
Farmers build their cowsheds to suit the local climate. Good ventilation is essential to cows’ welfare so the building must be ventilated to enable air to circulate without drafts. For the cows’ comfort, bedding is changed regularly.
On average, each cow has a 6m2 space and moves freely in its stall. The bedding, which is often made of straw, offers optimal comfort.
As ruminants, cows consume large quantities of forage and hay. This is stored in bales in a hay barn.
Also stored there is straw, the residue of cereal harvests. Straw is used as bedding for the cows, to ensure they are comfortable in the stable. Large quantities are needed as it is changed regularly.
Slurry is a liquid mixture of urine and dung. It is produced when cows do not have straw bedding and the cow shed is lined with a comfortable mat instead. It is stocked in slurry pits.
Cow manure is a solid mixture of dung and straw. It is stored in a covered barn.
Manure and slurry are used as soil fertilizers. They are...
Slurry is a liquid mixture of urine and dung. It is produced when cows do not have straw bedding and the cow shed is lined with a comfortable mat instead. It is stocked in slurry pits.
Cow manure is a solid mixture of dung and straw. It is stored in a covered barn.
Manure and slurry are used as soil fertilizers. They are spread on crops and fields to enrich the soil with organic matter and nutrients.
The use of natural fertilizers such as manure and slurry is regulated. They are spread during authorized periods to suit the needs of crops. Farmers keep a muck-spreading calendar, noting the dates and quantities of manure and slurry spread over their different plots of land.
Manure and slurry enable the land to be enriched organically,...
The use of natural fertilizers such as manure and slurry is regulated. They are spread during authorized periods to suit the needs of crops. Farmers keep a muck-spreading calendar, noting the dates and quantities of manure and slurry spread over their different plots of land.
Manure and slurry enable the land to be enriched organically, bringing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are essential to plant growth. They also enable farmers to limit their use of chemical fertilizers.
This law introduced for the first time a required quality standard and an incentive payment system for farmers.
Farmers obtain higher or lower prices for their milk depending on its content (fat and protein) and bacteriological quality.
For this purpose, milk analyses are carried out at least three times a month on all farms by independent dairy laboratories.
Created by the National Cattle Federation (FNB) and the National Federation of Dairy Farmers (FNPL), this charter is a voluntary approach supported by CNIEL. For farmers who adhere to it, the charter is a tool for developing and improving their practices. For consumers, it’s a source of information, a sort of “open book” that anyone can consult for full transparency on the ways in which farmers work.
More than 95% of farmers have adopted this approach.
The charter covers six essential commitments from traceability, quality, animal feed, animal health and welfare to environmental protection.
Nutrition
It is now possible to measure the content of milk very precisely, particularly in terms of proteins (e.g. casein) and fats (e.g. butyric acid and oleic acid).
Environmental impact
Over the past 20 years, farmers have endeavoured to reduce the environmental impact of their business. The industry will continue to step up its efforts thanks to its commitment to the “life carbon diary”, a new programme to reduce the environmental impact of farming that involves 4,000 farmers deploying an environmental evaluation tool.
In the space of a few decades, French agriculture has been deeply transformed (by modernization, expansion, specialization, etc.). This new agriculture has led to the emergence of a new breed of farmers, whose skills and working methods are no longer the same.
Day to day, these new “farm managers” have learned to use the latest tools (machines, accounting, management, the Internet, IT, GPS, etc.).
Many training courses have been developed, with qualifications ranging from a vocational training certificate (CAP) and two-year advanced technician’s certificate (BTS) to five-year engineering diplomas in agriculture/agronomy.
Farmers ensure the traceability of the animals on their farms
Animals are continually identifiable thanks to a tag worn on each ear and a lifelong passport. Each animal is monitored from birth until it leaves the farm.
Farmers protect the health of their herds
Healthy cows produce good-quality milk! Farmers therefore take good care of their animals, using medicine prescribed by veterinarians and noting any treatment. They respect regulatory precautions, which are numerous in France, to avoid the spread of contagious diseases.
Farmers guarantee a safe, balanced and monitored diet for their animals
Good-quality milk depends on cows’ diets. Farmers therefore ensure their animals eat a balanced diet that meets their needs. Cows are fed farm-produced feed first. If feed is bought, farmers must know where it comes from.
Farmers protect the quality of their milk through strenuous hygiene
The milking and storage area must always be clean, just like the equipment used for milking the cows and storing milk. This hygiene is monitored and maintained.
Farmers closely monitor the analyses of their milk, which are carried out regularly.
Farmers ensure animal welfare and worker safety
Farmers ensure good living conditions for their cattle both inside the cowshed and outside in the pastures. They protect cows from stress and wounds so they produce good-quality milk. Farmers also ensure a safe environment for farm workers (technicians, veterinarians, and so on).
Farmers help to protect the environment
Farmers commit to managing manure and slurry produced by their animals so they do not pollute water or dirty the roads. They maintain the areas surrounding the farm. They also sort their waste and save water and energy where possible.
Key figures
L’éleveur est très attentif à son troupeau. Il est en contact permanent avec ses bêtes. Il est disponible pour elles lorsque c'est nécessaire et s'en occupe jour et nuit si besoin (par exemple pour les mises bas). Les veaux en particulier font l’objet de toutes les attentions et sont très surveillés. Une vraie histoire s’établit ainsi entre l’éleveur et chaque vache laitière, qui dure plusieurs années ! La preuve : l'éleveur sait reconnaître une vache de son troupeau rien qu'à sa mamelle !
Les éleveurs entretiennent et modèlent le paysage autour de leur exploitation : bois, bosquets, mares, zones humides ou herbages de montagne, contribuant ainsi à l’équilibre écologique et à l'attrait touristique de la France.
Prés, cultures fourragères, prairies... l'élevage de vaches est un rempart à la désertification. Si les prairies n'étaient plus broutées, les terres redeviendraient des friches en quelques années, peu intéressantes ni pour le paysage ni pour la biodiversité.
Les éleveurs se sont toujours investis dans la vie des territoires : membres d’associations, élus locaux... Par leur présence ils contribuent aussi au maintien des écoles et des commerces des villages reculés. Ils participent au développement de leur région en accueillant touristes et écoliers. Ils déneigent les routes en hiver. Et leurs vaches entretiennent les pistes de ski l’été !
