The Simmental cow, an all-rounder with a long tradition

They are the all-rounders of livestock farming: Simmental cattle from Switzerland. As a traditional dual-purpose breed, they not only produce the finest milk, but also hearty, high-quality meat. This makes Simmental cattle unique and sets them apart from other cattle breeds that specialize in meat or milk production, the so-called performance breeds. Known for their frugal nature and their healthy and robust constitution, Simmental cows are characterized in particular by the fact that they produce high-quality milk and meat from forage even under difficult conditions. This makes Simmental cows doubly valuable.

Simmentaler as an export success

These outstanding characteristics - in particular the low susceptibility to disease - meant that breeders from Germany and Austria became aware of the Simmental Simmental breed as early as the Middle Ages. the actual export boom then began in 1930. The cows became world famous as an export product. Particularly popular for crossbreeding with other breeds, the animals were soon to be found on every continent. Today, the Simmental is one of the most important quality breeds. There are said to be up to 50 million animals worldwide. However, pure Simmental breeding, as we know it from Switzerland, is unique. Convinced pure breeders therefore founded the "Swiss Association for the Preservation and Promotion of the Pure Simmentaler Simmental Breed" in 1978. In doing so, they made an important contribution to the further development and improvement of Simmental breeding in Switzerland.

High performance vs. dual purpose

In contrast to the global success, the introduction of artificial insemination and the crossbreeding of the Red Holstein breed caused a rapid decline in purebred Simmental cattle in Switzerland. The classic Simmental breed with its outstanding original characteristics as a dual-purpose breed therefore came under increasing pressure in Switzerland. From the 1950s onwards, in the course of the specialization of agriculture in either meat or milk production, the population of Simmental cattle declined rapidly. Cross-breeding with imported breeds and the focus on high-performance breeds led to the Simmental dual-purpose breed becoming increasingly marginalized. However, thanks to the efforts of a few dedicated farmers and breeders who are unwavering in their commitment to preserving the purebred Simmental breed, there are still around 38,000 purebred Simmental cows and cattle in Switzerland today.