The 3rd edition of the Milk Festival will be held this weekend, November 9 and 10, at Plaine-des-Cafres. The opportunity for the public to discover the work of dairy farmers and to learn more about a sector that is doing well, despite the difficulties.
Dairy farmers will be in the spotlight the weekend of November 9 and 10. On the occasion of the Milk Festival, at the Grands kiosks of Plaine-des-Cafres, they will discuss their profession with the public.
Milk sales and farm visits are often eagerly awaited, according to Matha Mussard, president of Sicalait, who confirms that ” the general public, in general, likes to buy fresh milk “. Buses will be made available to go to one of the three farms to visit.
Pei dairy products, such as yogurts, cheeses and others, are increasingly in demand by consumers.
In Reunion, the sector is doing well. In 2023, production was 17 million liters of milk. It will be a little less this year.
“ We work on quality “, confides Jean-François Mussard, whose farm is located at Grande-Ferme. The quality of the fodder determines the quality of the milk, he explains. The breeder has 50 dairy cows, which give him 1,200 liters of milk per day. His barn is entirely mechanized, which makes his work easier.
A dynamic sector also, ” with more than 50 years of existence “, according to Frédéric Vienne, the president of the Chamber of Agriculture of Reunion Island, who notes the enthusiasm of young people for the profession.
Young people who want to take over dairy farming, take over from their parents. They grew up in this world, despite the difficulties.
Frédéric Vienne, president of the Chamber of Agriculture of Reunion Island
He recalls that, according to him, the dairy sector is the most difficult in agriculture, ” it's every day, it's twice a day, it's on holidays and weekends “.
The sector has around sixty dairy farmers. They all deliver their production to Sicalait, the only milk collection structure on the island. It also ensures a production of heifers, with nearly 700 females collected from breeders and grouped and raised in a “nursery” in Plaine-des-Cafres.
There remains the question of bovine leukosis, which affects the herds of Reunion Island. An eradication plan has been in place since 2020. A problem for breeders, since although the disease is not transmissible to humans, it is to animals. Leukosis causes tumors on the organs of animals over two years old, and causes a drop in milk production.
Tested several times during their growth in the nursery, the infected heifers are redirected towards the meat sector. A heifer free of leukosis cannot be introduced into a herd that is not healthy, an additional difficulty for breeders, who sometimes have to cull their entire herd in order to develop. The total sanitation of dairy herds is hoped for by 2027.
The dairy sector has set itself the objective of installing 15 breeders by 2030, for an annual production of 20.5 million liters of milk.
