The species was threatened… The Norman cow is getting better

“When we saw the useful resource offered to support the neighborhood breed, we began buying heifers. Today, almost 20% of our dairy herd is of the Norman breed, whereas we not had any! Without delay welcomes Arnaud Fusée, at the pinnacle of 380 livestock in Trévières (Calvados).

A real revolution… Because, like him, many Norman breeders in latest many years had progressively deserted neighborhood cows in want of Prim’Holstein, considered to be a great deal extra productive. Consequence: the Norman race is the only which, in ten years, has declined the most violently. One hundred,000 of these cows have indeed disappeared, i.E.… A 0.33 of the breed in Normandy!

“If we did nothing, the species would be extinct by way of 2030”

“We stated to ourselves that at this price, if we did nothing, the species might be extinct by means of 2030, when it's far one in every of our most powerful local trademarks”, justifies Clothilde Eudier, vice-president of the place in fee of agriculture.

 

The vicinity has consequently reacted and set up a large rescue plan for this breed, which, similarly to the image, also offers the milk important for the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) of several big name cheeses. « Livarot, as an instance, calls for one hundred% Norman milk,” remembers David Aubrée, director of the Réo cheese dairy.

In all, 2 million euros have already been invested in this gadget. A commitment that allows breeders to receive between one hundred euros and 460 euros in resource for the purchase of a dairy cow, a heifer or a “Norman” embryo. Not to mention that a few cooperatives also play the game by allocating as much as 35 euros in “premium” for every 1,000 liters of milk, to farms favoring this breed!

 

And the least we will say is that the operation is bearing fruit seeing that in one year, the Normandy livestock already has… eight,000 extra Normandy cows!