Home Corporate Communication Press Review Prior Farm: a competitive and eco-sustainable farm

Prior Farm: a competitive and eco-sustainable farm

In the Vercelli area, where rice paddies have over time taken over from livestock farming, there are still farms that believe in livestock farming as a future asset. Such is the Prior Brothers' farm on the outskirts of Vercelli, continuing the livestock farming started by their grandfather in the 1950s, laying the foundation for a competitive and eco-sustainable livestock farm. The farm currently milks around 150 cows, partly with a milking robot and partly still in parlors. The farm is geared towards forage self-sufficiency, although, given its location, a significant portion is left to rice cultivation.

Prior Farm: a competitive and eco-sustainable farm
Prior Farm: a competitive and eco-sustainable farm

The company's historical memory is entrusted to father Sergio: "Our family is originally from the Veneto region; in 1953, my father and uncle first arrived in Crescentino, where they rented a farm with about twenty days of land (a Vercelli day is equivalent to 3,810 square meters) and three or four beef cattle. The farm later moved to Vinzaglio, on the outskirts of Vercelli, where they began raising dairy cows, starting with a dozen head. In 1960, the barn burned down; soon after, my uncle left the company, and my father continued on his own. In 1961, we purchased our first milking machine. I stayed on the farm at the age of twelve; my father died when I was twenty-four, and I split the business from my brother. At twenty-six, I married Augusta, who helped lead the farm and grow it to fifty lactating cows."

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Completing the farm's eco-sustainable approach is the installation of a 75 kW photovoltaic system with 90 kW of storage batteries, 80% financed by the National Plan for the Renewable Energy Sources (PNRR). Thus, with a limited net cost to the farm, the green aspect of the farm is enhanced, while also significantly reducing production costs, although the batteries will still not fully cover consumption during nighttime hours. The overarching principle of the farm's development project is its sustainability, with a particular focus on environmental sustainability. This project is implemented with four interconnected objectives; the first is economic improvement, increasing the farm's profitability, enhancing its production performance, and focusing on genetic selection plans, which are yielding very interesting results, especially in first-time cows. The second goal is compliance with various regulations, including certifications ( the farm is certified for animal welfare by the SQNBA and by the CSQA for the Gorgonzola DOP production specifications ). The third goal builds on the second, but places particular emphasis on eco-sustainability, while the fourth is access to appropriate and viable funding sources, based on the farm's overall plan. Regarding funding, Andrea's interpretation is particularly interesting: "Right now, we could manage the farm even without funding. According to our company accounts, the farm would be sustainable even with a milk price fluctuating between 50 and 52 cents per liter.

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Source: Profession Breeder

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