SOIL MANAGEMENT AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

Great care, knowledge of the territory,value to people

01. SOIL MANAGEMENT

Encouraging a culture of hard work and respect

C.I.L.A. manages more than 1,100 hectares of farmland.
The agricultural activities – carried out following well – established cultural and regulatory practices – are intended to obtain raw materials for:

  • The feeding of animals – fodder (alfalfa and grass) hay cereals
  • The cogeneration plant – corn silage
  • The direct sale – wheat

In recent years, the Cooperative has created an integrated supply chain with its neighbours, who have become its suppliers of fodder, hay and corn kernels: an organisational approach that made it possible to effectively integrate the supply of raw materials.

02. ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

Animal welfare is both a requirement and an objective

C.I.L.A. breeds pigs, dairy cattle and beef cattle.

  • The cuts and cured meats are obtained from heavy pigs – approximately 12,000 heads – fed with GMO-free feeds certified by the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma (Parma Ham Consortium).
  • More than 140,000 quintals of milk are obtained from dairy cattle each year. Our milk is used by the Latteria Sociale San Giovanni for the production of Parmigiano Reggiano.
  • Beef cattle – bred separately from milk cattle – are fed with the same noble and natural raw materials: feeds free from GMO, silage and chemical additives.

Production of dried fodder

The dairy cattle are fed with top quality fodder derived from the in-house production cycle or from the area surrounding the Cooperative – as required by the Production Regulations established by the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium.
The production of dried fodder amounts to a 60% of C.I.L.A.’s agricultural activity, and is carried out by paying careful attention to the optimisation of mowing and drying times.
Latest-generation harvesters and windrowers make it possible to speed up processing and harvesting times, guaranteeing a final product that is preserved over time and that maintains its nutritional characteristics unchanged. The production process of alfalfa and fodder starts at the beginning of the blooming season, when the ratio between protein content and digestibility of the fiber is ideal.
When haymaking cannot be carried out due to adverse weather conditions, a fodder drying machine is used to complete the harvesting cycle and ensure a high-quality fodder. When the haymaking process is complete, the various types of bales (Bigbaler or round bales) are stored inside large sheds ready to be fed to the animals.

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