Mirko Breda, breeder, talks about the growth of a new sector. Among the members there is the Latteria di Soligo and Veneto Agriculture will be included
THE COMPANY
Does the future of Cansiglio pass through organic farming? Mirko Breda, farmer on the plateau and president of the “Centro Dairy and Agrituristic” Cooperative, believes so. First of all for the dairy sector. The 24,000 quintals of organic milk produced by the five contributing farmers are paid at 62.49 cents per liter.
The price could be better, rising to 67 cents, but farmers are giving up 4.4 cents to recapitalize the company. The value of a liter of normal milk, recognized to the producer, is 40 cents, of organic milk it is 49, the European average. The Cansiglio Dairy Center, which after years of difficulty closed the 2020 budget with truly reassuring figures.
“Last year 1,200,000 liters of milk were sold and the balance closed positively at 4 million euros, thanks to the contribution of the agritourism activity: from the Bianco bar in the center of the Piana to the ten rooms in the area, this activity which alone accounts for more than a quarter of revenues “. Not a secondary aspect: the milk is paid for in 60 days compared to the previous 120. The coop distributes € 600,000 in salaries: it has about ten permanent collaborators, which double in the summer, and the staff is all local. The choice of “organic” was pioneering, dating back to 26 years ago.
Now it is winning, so much so that Breda and the other partners (about a hundred, including the Soligo dairy, while Veneto Agriculture will return) are working towards two important European certifications.
“With Biodiversity friends – explains Breda – we will make sure to recognize the whole environment in which we operate not only sustainable, but such as to guarantee biodioversity at 360 degrees”.
An operation of which the Veneto Agriculture agency is so convinced that with the new governance it has decided to build the new dairy, predictably in the center of the plain in order to also entrust it with didactic functions.
The temptation would also be to participate in the next tender for the management of the Sant’Osvaldo refuge, but it is Breda himself who advises “one step at a time”. In 5 years the coop has managed to cancel the accumulated liabilities and is now committed to consolidation.
There are five stalls in the Dairy Center: three – Lissandri, Vallorch and Filippon under concession from Veneto Agricoltura; two other private Sant’Anna and Monte Cavallo. A total of 450 cattle, 250 dairy cows and 200 replacement cows. The products are distributed on its own or through the 300 specialized shops of Econaturasì.