“What I like most is raising my animals, giving birth to my little calves and seeing them grow” confides Christophe, a passionate breeder.

There are not only Salers cows at the Clermont-Ferrand Livestock Summit. In the hall dedicated to meat breeds, Christophe pampers his Palace bull, a superb specimen of the blonde Aquitaine breed. Driven by a passion for breeding, he also shares his concerns for the future.

He wouldn’t miss the Clermont-Ferrand Livestock Summit for anything in the world. Christophe Catusse left the small village of Mirabel, in Tarn-et-Garonne, for a few days to present his Palace bull. With its 1,288 kg, its grain of wheat coat, its beast is a worthy representative of the blonde from Aquitaine. A recent breed, born in 1962, from the crossing of three other breeds from the South-West. For more than 30 years, Christophe has been a breeder. He is 61 years old: “ I started this job out of passion. I took over a family farm. I am the third generation of breeders. More than 25 years ago, when we were passionate about breeding, we took over the family business.” Today he owns a 120 hectare farm with around a hundred animals.

Like many breeders, he doesn’t count his hours: “ I get up at 6 a.m. like any breeder. I start by caring for my animals. I take care of them every day. My daily life is monitoring my herd. I do this 365 days a year, 7 days a week. I only take two weeks of vacation per year. It is a person from the replacement service who takes care of the farm “. With a lovely South-West accent, the breeder speaks with passion about his daily life: “ What I enjoy most is raising my animals, giving birth to my little calves and watching them grow. I know all my animals by heart. What drives me every day when I get up is the passion for breeding. I like to see the evolution of my animals. We are constantly with our animals, from morning to evening. Our bond is very strong. They know us perfectly ».

Even far from his farm, his bull recognizes him immediately: “ When you are at a show with lots of cows, the animal recognizes its owner. This has always impressed me. By speech he knows who his owner is “. Palace is a fairly calm bull. He is a 5-year-old breeder, who has had a great career. Today he is at the end of the competitions. Its owner is a regular at the Sommet de l’Élevage: “ I’ve been coming here for 15 years. It is the crossroads of meat breeds in France. We see a lot of professionals. This Summit is a benchmark. In terms of benefits, I am waiting for recognition of my breeding and I hope to sell breeding stock afterwards. “. According to Christophe, nothing to do with the Paris Agricultural Show: “ Being at the Paris Agricultural Show is a personal satisfaction but we don’t have the relationships like here with other breeders. Here they are professionals. In Paris there are many Parisians ».

Despite the difficulties, Christophe hangs on: “ The job of breeder is demanding every day. There are also economic constraints. The profession is changing. I have a little worries for the future. On the financial side, we always have low salaries. We realize from year to year that we have less and less salary. I receive 1,000 euros per month. It’s not much compared to the hours spent “. He is the owner of his farm: “ I inherited my parents’ farm. I made it profitable and expanded the farm “. But no buyer for his farm when he retires. His two daughters will not take over: “ My daughters took different directions and did not want to become farmers. I’m a little disappointed that it won’t last because I’m the third generation of breeders. That’s life ! ».

He is a little bitter when he confides that he has no buyer: “ The herd will gradually stop, unless a youngster arrives from outside. My farm will probably be split between several producers “. The farmer is aware of the difficulties of the profession. A bit disillusioned, he explains: “ In France, meat consumption is stagnating. But we import a lot of foreign meat. In France we have the best meat breeds. I’m a little upset against imports. We could only eat French meat. I think that the agricultural crisis at the beginning of the year is not over. I’m afraid it will start again because there have only been promises and the concerns remain. One day or another it’s going to end badly “. The breeder consoles himself by pampering his animals. His animals, his farm, his native South-West: a triptych to which he is firmly attached.