Organic suckling cattle farming system in the Massif Central : technical and economic results

Abstract

In 2006, 1.5% of French suckling cows are certified OF, 25% of these cows being located in the Massif Central. To get technical and economic references, an OF suckling cattle farms’ network was established. In 2004, 22 farms were monitored (13 of these farms have been monitored since 2001). All these farms are located in less favoured areas and their performances were compared with a group of 105 conventional farms in the same geographical area. One-hundred percent of the fodder area is grassland. The stocking rate and live-weight production are 20% lower in OF farms than in the conventional farms. The poorly structured organic beef market chain causes OF farmers to sell most of their animals (mainly store animals, fattened animals represent only 45% of sold animals) on the conventional market without premium prices. Since only fattened animals are valorised on the organic market with a premium price, the average selling price (€/kg live-weight) of all the sold animals is only 7% higher for OF than for conventional. But, because of lower operational costs (- 33%), the bovine gross margin/LU is 3% higher for OF than for conventional. The lower stocking rate leads a lower gross product per ha of farm area, this result being balanced by a very low level of operational costs (no chemical inputs), so the economic efficiency of the OF is higher than these of the conventional. The farm income per worker is the same in both systems. The search for food self-sufficiency at the farm scale is a key point for farm economics, but it is workable only in mixed crop-livestock farms where cropping is possible with adapted crop rotation. Considering the price of purchased concentrates, 100% grassland farms have difficulties fattening their animals, hence the lower rate of OF certification in mountain areas compared to mixed areas. But other dimensions than productivity and economy will improve in the future the sale talk to encourage the conversions.