Agro-pastoral management and reclaiming lost areas
The Grand Site de France Puy Mary – Volcan du Cantal has identified agricultural decline as one of the major challenges of its territory. A pastoral survey carried out by Auvergne Estives has made it possible to draw up a complete and detailed panorama of the pastoral areas of the Grand Site and to come up with perspectives for agro-pastoral management.
Project
A “reconquest” will be initiated on the areas identified as being in decline: development and cleaning of the accesses to the summer pastures, access to water… This will enable farmers to benefit from new grazing areas and maintain the open landscapes so characteristic of the area.
This reconquest is notably reflected in a project for a collective sheep summer pasture on the ridges of the Puy Mary massif. In addition to preserving the landscape, the aim of this collective summer pasture is to safeguard and enhance sheep farming on the Grand Site.
The Syndicat Mixte du Puy Mary would like to support the creation of a pastoral grouping bringing together farmers who wish to participate in this collective summer pasture. The Syndicat Mixte has therefore contacted the sheep farmers of the territory in order to establish a first estimate of the sheep population that will graze on the ridges of the massif.
The state of progress
In 2020, a letter was sent jointly by the Syndicat Mixte du Puy Mary and the Cantal Chamber of Agriculture to breeders.
At the beginning of 2021, the project was presented and clarified to the breeders. At the same time, the Syndicat Mixte du Puy Mary worked on the land, health and technical issues of this future summer pasture, in partnership with the Chamber of Agriculture, the regional pastoral service Auvergne Estives and the Groupement de Défense Sanitaire (GDS).
In March 2021, the pastoral group was created around 6 breeders with 500 ewes.
On June 5, 2021 the first grassing up took place.
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