Farmland occupies 37% of the territory with 1.55 million hectares. Due to the topography and climate, two thirds of the utilized agricultural area is devoted to grazing. Switzerland is an animal husbandry country with a cattle herd of 1.6 million head in 2009 including 710 000 cows (dairy and beef breeds). The pig population amounts to 1.6 million head and the sheep population totals 434 100 head. Poultry (8.8 million fowl) is divided between one third laying hens and two thirds fattening fowl.  Cereal and market garden farming are primarily located on the plains. The surface area for growing cereal crops is 153 000 hectares for one million tons, with 53% wheat, followed by barley and maize. Market garden farming covers about 10 000 hectares (90% open field and 10% under glass) which represents 1% of the total utilized agricultural area, although it generates 13% of the total value of Swiss farm production. The main vegetables grown are carrots (1 450 ha), lettuce (1 200 ha), spinach (1 100 ha),

Dairy production occupies an important place in Swiss agriculture. It amounted to 4.1 million tons in 2009. The principal transformation sectors concern cheese for 40% with 181 330 tons, butter 17%, milk for consumption 12.3%, canned goods 10.7%, and cream 7.8%. Switzerland has a long cheese-making tradition thanks to its rich grazing land, its sturdy, efficient herds and the know-how of its cheese-makers who contribute to the quality of its many cheeses. The main cheeses are Gruyere (28 164 tons, AOC-certified hard cooked cheese made from raw cow’s milk in a round wheel of 35 kg), Emmentaler (27 060 tons, AOC-certified hard cooked cheese made from raw cow’s milk, 75 kg to 120 kg wheel),

The Swiss wine-growing region is primarily in the south and west of the country, in the Vaud, Valais, Neuchâtel, Tessin and Geneva cantons. Planted alongside the lakes on the hills with the best exposure or in the Rhone valley, the vineyards cover a surface area of 15 000 hectares. In 2009, wine production amounted to 1 044 800 hectolitres including 550 461 hl of red wine and 494 339 hl of white wine, and barely 1.5% of the total production is exported.
With 5 158 ha of vineyards, the Valais canton is the country’s largest producer and its most famous wine is the Fendant made from the Chasselas grape variety. This fine, elegant white wine is the perfect wine to accompany fondu and raclette dishes. Arvine (variety of the same name) is a very aromatic white wine. With “late harvesting”, it offers a sweet wine with the aromas of candied fruit. Eermitage is a full-bodied white wine from the Marsanne grape variety. Pinot Noir is a full-bodied red wine. Dôle is a strong red wine with a good bouquet made from Pinot Noir and Gamay grape varieties.

Swiss cuisine is fragmented and diverse, like the country. The culinary heritage from French or German specialties draws on regional recipes in particular. French-speaking Switzerland is known for the Neuchâtel fondu (Gruyere, Emmental and white wine) and the Valais specialty called raclette. In German-speaking Switzerland, there are the patties known as röstis, made from potato, cheese, and diced bacon for the Bern recipe. Bölletünne is an onion pie with diced bacon, cream, eggs and cumin added. There is also a wide variety of cooked meats (gnagi or ham, klöpfer or saveloy from Basle, schübling or the long Saint-Gall pork sausage).
In Tessin, bündnerfleisch or dried meat from Grisons is made from raw, smoked, spiced beef that is dried and service in thin slices.

Crédit photo : Milco

Jacques Ropraz
(Manager of Milco – Swiss cheese dairy)

“Although our dairy and cheese-making activity dates back several generations, Milco was set up by my father in 1955 and I have been running it with my brother Eric since 1990. We have quite a broad range of dairy and cheese products, including some specialties like “Gruyere armailli”(a semi-hard cream cheese matured for six months), “poya” (a hard cheese also made with cream matured ten months), raclette, plain and in several variations, and a fondu composed of three cheeses (poya, armailli and Fribourg vacherin). In total, we produce a thousand tons of dairy products per year, which includes cheese, butter, cream and yoghurts, and our positioning is upmarket. For a year now we have been carried by several Rungis Market operators and in some major French retail stores. The Swiss cheese industry has always been geared to quality and its production constantly improves.”

Crédit photo : FD

Christina Bürgi
(Embassy councillor for economic matters – Swiss embassy in Paris)

“Switzerland’s economic situation is improving, with a relatively low debt (40%) and unemployment of less than 2% of the working population. The sectors that drive the Swiss economy are the pharmaceutical industry, machine tools, watch-making, the financial sector and the food industry (dairy products, chocolate, etc.) and some are heavy exporters. In the food industry sector, the dairy industry is very developed with an annual production of about 4 billion litres of milk, 35% of which is transformed into cheese and the rest into dairy by-products. Agriculture has declined relatively in recent years and it now only represents 0.8% of GDP, due to a decrease in utilized agricultural areas in favour of property development and a fall in the active farming population. Furthermore, exports of Swiss agricultural products are down, hurt by the rising value of the Swiss Franc in relation to the Euro. On the other hand, imports of food products are increasing and almost half of the products consumed are imported.  However, certain sectors have remained stable or grown, like wine growing, vegetable production and the products from the organic sector. Generally speaking, Switzerland remains in a positive economic position.”

Crédit photo : FD

Jean-Marie Estrade
(Commercial Manager, specialist in cooked hard cheeses at Delon – Rungis dairy sector)

“There is already a long history between Delon and Swiss cheeses. We sell about 270 tons a year, of which Swiss Emmental represents a good third. This top quality product has a flavour that is more or less constant; it’s a cheese that always lives up to its reputation, which is an advantage for the people selling it. Our little specialty is the Emmental matured in caves for 12 to 14 months (June to mid-October) with its yellow body and more distinctive taste, “eyes that weep” and dressed in a lovely black coat. Then we have the Swiss gruyere and its four variations (mild, traditional, from the caves, reserve), Appenzeller, Tête de moine, Sbrinz, Fribourg Vacherin (alpage, village, etc.). On the whole, our line of Swiss cheeses usually includes about thirty listed products. With Swiss cheeses, our dairy retailer clients have the guarantee they will be offering top quality products and any good dairy retailer must have a line of Swiss cheeses. The production is Swiss cheeses is exemplary in terms of quality and constancy.”