At EARL des Chênes, the list of owned equipment is quick to establish: a tractor John Deere 6110 M with a front loader from 2023, a tractor Lamborghini dating from 2006 harnessed in front of the planer, a straw blower from 2008, a tedder of 2022 and a irrigation reel purchased in 2019. “For everything else, I mainly go through the two Only with whom I have been working for thirty years now, explains Laurent Séjourné, breeder in Saint-Viaud, in Loire-Atlantique. The farm has always worked like this, my parents having participated in the creation of Cuma in the sector at their time. I therefore have a very complete offer, with materials and technologies that I could not afford individually. Plus, I’ve never been much into machines. I prefer to spend my time managing the herd than doing mechanics or spending hours behind the wheel. »
Self-propelled silage harvester for eight farms
The operator is a member of Cuma Du Littoral, based in Saint-Père-en-Retz. This cooperative, which has a building and four employees, achieves an annual turnover of around one million euros, with around thirty active farmers. It offers all harvesting work with driver, as well as plowing and spreading slurry. La Cuma also has a self-propelled silage removal machine which passes daily to Laurent Séjourné to feed the herd. The tour concerns eight dairy farms, spread over three municipalities with a total distance of 55 km. This group, formed in 2011, is currently using its third machine: an RMH, Vulcan 16 Gold model of 16 m3 of capacity.
“For my part, I have to prepare the silo and organize everything on the farm so that the driver carries out the service in a minimum of time,” explains Laurent Séjourné. He comes six days a week and distributes a double ration on Saturdays to feed the animals all weekend. I place the concentrates beforehand directly on the silo so that it loads everything at the same time. I have a simple ration, intended only for the milkmaids, because, for the heifers and the oxen, I distribute haylage and hay. In principle, the machine only stays on the farm for six to seven minutes. For invoicing, the amount of fixed charges is distributed between each operator according to the volume of milk produced over the year. Operating expenses, such as labor, fuel and maintenance, are re-invoiced in proportion to the time spent. Economically, it only costs me €11 for 1,000 liters of milk produced. This is an unbeatable price that I could never achieve with my own equipment. This very low cost is also explained by the fact that I close the silo for about three months a year when the cows spend all their time in the meadows. During this period, I therefore only pay the depreciation of the machine. Among my colleagues, where the railcar operates every day of the year, the price is around €14 to €15/1,000 l, which remains very advantageous. » In comparison, studies often show that, among individually equipped breeders, the cost of distribution is rarely below €20 to €25/1,000 l.
The EARL also joins the Cuma Loiretz, chaired by Laurent Séjourné. It does not employ any employees: the fifteen members share the responsibilities and carry out the routine maintenance of the equipment themselves. More advanced mechanical interventions are outsourced.
Organization and planning
Through this, the farmer has access to three 150 hp tractors and a whole range of supporting equipment: haymaking, transport, tillage, fertilization and sowing. On average, he uses the Cuma tractor 200 hours per year. The price of tractors, set at €23 per hour excluding GNR, is also very competitive. By delegating feeding and thanks to grazing, the mechanization costs of the farm are consequently very reduced compared to regional averages. (read box). “The proper functioning of the farm relies on organization and planning,” recognizes Laurent Séjourné. Having two employees to manage, I’m used to this. It is also essential to share equipment intelligently and optimize its use. From one week to the next, I plan the construction sites and reserve the equipment I need. Then, the weather is in charge. But, if we wait until the last moment to plan work, it does not work, because the equipment is often already reserved. »
-Access to high-end technologies
By pooling investments, the Cuma have the capacity to acquire large and efficient equipment, also with more high-end technologies that are often inaccessible to a single breeder. This is the case, for example, with a Sitrex windrower with 16 elements for a working width of 9 m. The group also has a seeder for cereals and meadows. It is a Sulky Progress P100, a model intended for simplified soil preparation with three hoppers and a double sowing line. “When you are set up as an individual like me on a small area and with few animals, it is difficult to achieve economies of scale,” admits the breeder. Sharing equipment is therefore the best solution to reduce costs. I also have access to high-performance equipment. Personally, I couldn’t finance the purchase of a 150 hp tractor, especially if I only use it 200 hours per year. Thanks to the Cuma, I can reserve three tractors at the same time for silage days and, when I no longer need them, they don’t sit in the shed doing nothing. »
The breeder also believes that not everything can be shared. For all daily handling tasks, for example, he keeps at least one farmhand tractor with its front loader on his farm. A fan of rotational grazing, he must regularly manage the loss of certain paddocks. It is therefore also to remain reactive that he prefers to have his own tedder. “Delegation saves me a lot of time on repetitive tasks, particularly when feeding the cows. I also think my very grazing-oriented system is more resilient. Given the difficult climatic context of 2023-2024, I am relieved not to be too dependent on corn. My equipment needs, and therefore my mechanization costs, are below average. Throughout my career, I have made savings on this item and I have invested more sustainably in drainage and irrigation to secure forage production. »
In addition to sharing tools, Laurent Séjourné also appreciates the cooperative spirit and cohesion between members: “This seems fundamental to me for the proper functioning of the Cuma,” he insists. Everyone remains free at home to work as they wish, but everyone knows each other and knows how their neighbor works. On a daily basis, members can help each other or provide services to each other by going, for example, to drive equipment directly to another farm when the work is finished. All this saves time. This group spirit must be maintained and it is important to maintain it, in particular with conviviality and good understanding. I often emphasize the importance of Cuma’s weekly meetings. Everyone can express themselves and discuss with others what is going well and also what needs to be improved. We don’t just share equipment: it’s essential to move forward together because everyone wins in the end. This is a big difference with the service provided by ETA where no one knows their neighbor and operates more individually. »
