On November 25, at the Monneau family’s goat farm in Bressuire, the Agrial Cooperative presented its new goat plan and its goal of continuing to develop the sector and establish around 40 new farms per year between now and 2035. As a major European player in goat cheese, Agrial’s Milk division is continuing its development on the French and international markets to bring ever more value to its member farmers.
AGRIAL AIMS TO SET UP 400 NEW GOAT FARMERS BY 2035
The Cooperative has given a positive assessment of the first support plan for its goat sector, with more than 25 million additional liters of goat milk collected, 300 new farms established, and 77 development projects launched since 2016. The new 2035 goat plan aims to establish around 40 farmers per year by 2035 (in departments 85, 44, 49, 53, 72, 79, 86, 36, 37, 56, 35, 69, 42, 71, 26, and 07) and support the development of existing farms. The goal is to increase collection by an additional 35 million liters of goat milk in 10 years.
three pilars OF AGRIAL’s new CAPRIN 2035 plan
The new 2035 goat plan is based on three pillars :
- Training provided by leading farmers and technical experts (veterinarians, nutritionists, building consultants, management consultants, etc.);
- Individual monitoring by a milk advisor, from the initial project planning stage to the introduction of young goats, including technical and economic monitoring;
- Financial support to secure projects :
– A guaranteed price for five years, reassessed for new entrants and farm developments;
– A SOIGNON grant paid from the first year for new producers and farm developments, up to €15,000 per member;
– Assistance with the purchase of breeding stock of good health and genetic quality;
– A cash advance for the purchase and rearing costs of goats and billy goats.
In addition to this 2035 goat plan, Agrial has set up its “Agriboost” youth plan to help young people starting out in agriculture to get off to the best possible start: welcome days, visits, discussions with elected officials, study trips, financial assistance (capitalization, production, etc.), tools to help manage the farm, etc. Agrial has thus supported 1,800 young members, providing a total of €1.8 million in aid.
CONTINUE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRIAL’S MILK DIVISION IN THE GOAT MARKET, IN FRANCE AND INTERNATIONALLY
Developing goat milk supplies is a major challenge for Agrial, given the steady growth of the goat cheese market in France, which is around 2-3% per year in supermarkets*. With 130 years of expertise, SOIGNON, the flagship brand of Agrial’s Milk Division, dominates the goat cheese market and is also a major player in the ultra-fresh goat milk market in France. SOIGNON is also the leader in goat cheese in Europe and the United Arab Emirates and continues to expand its international exports. In line with this dynamic, the Agrial Cooperative wishes to consolidate and develop its positions across all marketing channels, including mass distribution, out-of-home catering, and industry.
*Source: NIELSEN Distributor Panel in hypermarkets, supermarkets, and drive-throughs
