The countdown is already under way for the eagerly awaited #SIAdesretrouvailles edition.
This is the promise of the 58th edition of the International Agricultural Show to be held at the Parc des Expositions at Porte de Versailles, Paris, from February 26 to March 6. The reunion between the French and their Agriculture promises to be intense according to Jean-Luc Poulain, farmer and President of Ceneca and of the International Agricultural Show; “Preparations for the show are well under way... all systems are go. On the exhibitor side, 85% have already registered 4 months ahead of the event! As for the general public, if they like something, they come back. This reunion edition is eagerly awaited. I am confident the visitors will be here”.
“For this special edition, the Show has decided to focus on the stronger-than-ever bond between farmers and consumers. With a real desire expressed by exhibitors and visitors alike to be able to enjoy the social side again”, declares Valérie le Roy, Director of the International Agricultural Show.
The stage is set for the largest trade fair in the agricultural industry, an essential ritual where new encounters, discussions and the sharing of ideas all play their part.
#Neige The International Agriculture Show’s 2022 mascot honours the Abondance breed
« Through our cow mascot, symbolising agriculture, we work on a triptych at each edition of the Show: region, product, person »explains Valérie Le Roy.
4-year-old Neige owes her name to 3 symbols: the snow that covers the mountain pastures from November to May. Snow, the emblem of Savoy and the mountains. And the Abondance breed, which is said to be white only where the snow can touch it: on the muzzle, under the belly and on the legs. And yet Neige was born in summer, at an altitude of 1600 metres, on a ski slope, just under the chairlift in the Grand-Bornand resort, on the Maroly mountain pasture to be precise, where she grazes in the good weather. A most unusual birth!
Neige was selected to represent the breed and feature on the poster for the 2022 edition of the Show, because she is the perfect illustration of the Abondance breed: a mahogany-red magpie coat, a head with a thick white quiff. Light-coloured horns and red spectacle-shaped markings around the eyes that reduce the sun's glare and therefore make her perfectly suited to the mountain environment. A source of pride for Philippe Missilier, her breeder: "I am particularly proud that Neige will be the star of the next International Agricultural Show, since it's the first time that the Abondance breed has been honoured! It's an opportunity for me to promote the breed, our profession, our know-how and our territory because it is important to show the diversity and the richness of French livestock farming”.
All the top-quality milk that Neige produces, along with the other cows in the herd, is used to make Reblochon, Tomme and Raclette, on the Missilier family farm in Grand-Bornand.
Abondance, a local breed that showcases French dairy farming
Although it represents only 1% of the national herd, Abondance is the 4th largest French dairy breed with nearly 60,000 cows. A local breed par excellence, 75% of the herds are located in the two Savoys, with nearly 50% in Haute-Savoie, and 20% in the Massif-Central.
Perfectly suited to the mountain regions from which it originates, the Abondance breed is very hardy, is capable of travelling long distances and adapts well to temperature variations. It also contributes to the development of rural areas, particularly in the mountains, and to the reduction of inputs thanks to the manure.
Appreciated for its longevity and calving abilities, the breed’s unique qualities have enabled it to settle in the Italian Alps but also beyond Europe: in Egypt, Algeria, the Ivory Coast, and certain mountainous countries. Proof of its adaptability to difficult breeding conditions.
A dairy, mountain-dwelling and rustic breed, the Abondance is involved in the production of 14 cheeses with IGP or PDO appellations such as Abondance, Beaufort, Reblochon and Tome des Bauges.
Philippe Missillier, breeder and producer of farmhouse cheeses
A profession he loves, and a cross-generational history
The son of Abondance breeders and Reblochon producers, Philippe joined the family business at the age of 21 in the village of Grand-Bornand, the birthplace of Reblochon, where there is one cow for every inhabitant! « Breeding is a real vocation. This profession allows me to enjoy a freedom that few trades can offer. The freedom to organise my own time, to work outdoors with animals. »
Today, 4 generations live together on the 65-hectare farm where 47 cows produce top quality milk that is then transformed from A to Z directly on the farm into farmhouse Reblochon, Tomme and Raclette by the breeder, his son Arnaud and his daughter-in-law Pauline. A tradition and an expertise that are passed on from generation to generation with pride. “I transform the milk from my cows into farmhouse cheeses, right up to the maturing and direct sales of my products. What could be more satisfying than being in control of all the steps that go into producing my 200 daily Reblochon? It's a profession that I can't wait to share at the Show ”.
"Agriculture: our daily life, your future"- A doubly meaningful theme
For this special edition, the Show chose a theme that is meaningful and, today more than ever, rooted in our reality - "Agriculture: our daily life, your future".Because the recent crises have revealed a combative agriculture. But also, consumers who are ever more attentive to the quality of their food, who have (re) discovered the essential role of farmers and their daily work. Now, more than ever, the challenge is to build a common future.
The theme has a double meaning. First, from the point of view of the farmers, for whom everything that makes up their daily life - their work, their training, their difficulties, their adaptations, and their mission to provide food - serves the future of the French population. A mission that can only be carried out under certain conditions (local, fair price, recognition, etc.). But this also holds true from the point of view of consumers and visitors to the Show who, by purchasing agricultural products, are safeguarding the future of farmers. Consumers want to be in full possession of the facts (traceability, food safety, knowledge of the breeders' and producers' professions etc.).
“Farmers and consumers are more interconnected than ever. This is the context surrounding this reunion edition, with all the players in the agricultural sector who share unique values and know-how, so that their daily lives build our future,"stresses Jean-Luc Poulain.