Production of PDO beef: the example of “Fin Gras du Mézenc” in France
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The aim of this work was to characterize the diversity, in terms of management, of animals sold under the label “Fin Gras du Mézenc” (FGM). The particularity of the FGM sign consists in: i) seasonality, as the selling period is from 1st February to 1st June; ii) fattening period, exclusively with locally produced hay. Surveys were carried out in 32 private farms (beef cattle, dairy cattle and mixed) producing FGM animals. The rearing system was analysed from various aspects - reproduction, replacement, culling, but also feeding and sorting of forage (hay) - in order to reconstruct the trajectory of the fattened animals from birth to slaughter (n=169). Five different types of trajectories were defined, involving from 5 to 95 animals. They are based on rearing conditions such as birth period, production system (dairy crossbred animals weaned at 3-4 months vs. beef calves weaned at 7-8 months), fattening duration and methods (hay sorted or not), and age at slaughter. The various trajectories represent the different expressions of the association between the possibility to sell the animal in conformity with the technical specifications and the farmer’s management of young animals within the herd.