--- title: Swiss quality milk description: The Federal Office for Agriculture uses direct ­payments to remunerate farmers for services of ­public and common interest. This includes produc­tion system contributions that are linked to particularly animal-friendly husbandry. image: https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/HOCHDORF%20Inside/Issue%209/HocIns_No_9_Milch.png --- [![Logo HOCHDORF iNSIDE_RGB](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hs-fs/hubfs/HOCHDORF%20Inside/Logo%20HOCHDORF%20iNSIDE_RGB.png?width=280&name=Logo%20HOCHDORF%20iNSIDE_RGB.png "Logo HOCHDORF iNSIDE_RGB")](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en) - [DE](https://inside.hochdorf.com/de) - [EN](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en) - [Corporate Website](https://www.hochdorf.com/) ![HOC_Ins_Header](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Header/Bimbosan/HOC_Ins_Header.jpg?width=1500&name=HOC_Ins_Header.jpg "HOC_Ins_Header") ## [Swiss quality milk](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/swiss-quality-milk) ![Matthias Schleiss](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/Blog/Portraitbilder%20Autoren/Matthias_Schleiss-150x150.png) By [Matthias Schleiss](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/author/matthias-schleiss) - January 21, 2019 - - - ![HocIns_No_9_Milch](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hs-fs/hubfs/HOCHDORF%20Inside/Issue%209/HocIns_No_9_Milch.png?width=750&name=HocIns_No_9_Milch.png) The food cows eat influences the composition of milk. Swiss cows receive high-quality, nutritional feed.  ## Voluntary agricultural programmes for animal welfare The Federal Office for Agriculture uses direct ­payments to remunerate farmers for services of ­public and common interest. This includes produc­tion system contributions that are linked to particularly animal-friendly husbandry.(1) ###### Regular exercise outdoors – RAUS programme - At least 26 days per month spent in pasture (May to October) - At least 13 days per month in pasture or outside (winter) - Alternatively: free-stall access for the whole year - Time spent outside must be documented in a journal(2) ###### Particularly animal-friendly housing in stables – BTS programme - Group husbandry - Continuous access to lying area and non-littered area - Daylight of at least 15 lux intensity (street lighting corresponds to approx. 10 lux)(3) - Compacted ground for eating and drinking area --- ## Swiss milk production figures (4, 5) - 575,000 dairy cows across Switzerland - 7,010 litres of milk are produced by an average Swiss dairy each year - 10 months a year – the average a dairy cow produces milk - 3.4 billion kilogrammes of milk is the total supplied by Swiss farmers each year - 21,000 milk producers across Switzerland - 25 dairy cows per Swiss farm on average - 48 % of all dairy cows live in free stalls - 84 % of all dairy cows are in the RAUS (regular exercise outdoors) programme - 800,000 hectares of grazing land (pastures, meadows) across Switzerland - 100 kilogrammes of grass are eaten by cows each summer day -  kilogrammes of hay are eaten by cows each winter day - 50 – 100 litres of water: the amount a cow drinks each day - 2 milk samples a month are submitted for official, extensive quality checking by each milk producer - 350,000 cells per millilitre is the Swiss cell count limit  (see article "[what makes Swiss milk so special](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/what-makes-swiss-milk-so-special?hsLang=en)") --- Further information - Article "[What makes Swiss milk so special](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/what-makes-swiss-milk-so-special?hsLang=en)" ``` Sources1) www.blw.admin.ch/blw/de/home/instrumente/direktzahlungen.html2) www.kontrolldienstkut.ch/fileadmin/kut/programme/RAUS/A_Rinder_RAUS-spezifische_Anforderung_an_Stallbereich_und_Auslauf_Version_2017.pdf3) www.naturallighting.wordpress.com/links/tageslicht-groessen-und-einheiten/4) LID Landwirtschaftlicher Informationsdienst, Alles über die Schweizer Milch, Ausgabe Juli 20185) www.swissmilk.ch ```   ## Leave a comment ![Matthias Schleiss](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/Blog/Portraitbilder%20Autoren/Matthias_Schleiss-150x150.png) Written by [Matthias Schleiss](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/author/matthias-schleiss) ### Posts by Topic - [Baby Care (42)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/tag/baby-care) - [Food Solutions (30)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/tag/food-solutions) - [Nutrition & Innovation (14)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/tag/nutrition-innovation) - [Corporate (3)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/tag/corporate) ### Recent Articles ### Popular Articles #### Related posts [![VIOPLUS from HOCHDORF: the vegan milk powder alternative for the chocolate industry](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/HOCHDORF%20Inside/Online%20Artikel/Dairy%20Ingredients/HSN_Inside_Header_Ackerbohnen.jpg)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/vioplus-from-hochdorf-the-vegan-milk-powder-alternative-for-the-chocolate-industry?hsLang=en) ##### [VIOPLUS from HOCHDORF: the vegan milk powder alternative for the chocolate industry](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/vioplus-from-hochdorf-the-vegan-milk-powder-alternative-for-the-chocolate-industry?hsLang=en) ![Monique Inderbitzin](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/Mitarbeiter%20Fotos/C_PIC_inderbitzin_2018_Hochformat.jpg) By [Monique Inderbitzin](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/vioplus-from-hochdorf-the-vegan-milk-powder-alternative-for-the-chocolate-industry/author/monique-inderbitzin?hsLang=en) - July 4, 2023 [![Lactose tolerance – part of our European cultural heritage](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/HOCHDORF%20Inside/Online%20Artikel/Dairy%20Ingredients/HocIns_Header_Laktoseintoleranz.jpg)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/actose-tolerance-part-of-our-european-cultural-heritage?hsLang=en) ##### [Lactose tolerance – part of our European cultural heritage](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/actose-tolerance-part-of-our-european-cultural-heritage?hsLang=en) ![Monique Inderbitzin](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/Mitarbeiter%20Fotos/C_PIC_inderbitzin_2018_Hochformat.jpg) By [Monique Inderbitzin](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/actose-tolerance-part-of-our-european-cultural-heritage/author/monique-inderbitzin?hsLang=en) - February 8, 2023 [![Sharing knowledge for best results in chocolate production](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/HOCHDORF%20Inside/Ausgaben%20Online/HOC_Ins_Header_CF_CM_Chocolate_Application_Center_Trial_15.jpg)](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/sharing-knowledge-for-best-results-in-chocolate-production?hsLang=en) ##### [Sharing knowledge for best results in chocolate production](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/sharing-knowledge-for-best-results-in-chocolate-production?hsLang=en) ![Monique Inderbitzin](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hubfs/Mitarbeiter%20Fotos/C_PIC_inderbitzin_2018_Hochformat.jpg) By [Monique Inderbitzin](https://inside.hochdorf.com/en/sharing-knowledge-for-best-results-in-chocolate-production/author/monique-inderbitzin?hsLang=en) - December 14, 2022 #### Contact Hochdorf Holding Ltd Siedereistrasse 9 Post office box 691 6281 Hochdorf Switzerland +41 41 914 65 65 [hochdorf@hochdorf.com](mailto:hochdorf@hochdorf.com) - - #### Site map - [Home](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/) - [Company](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/company/about-us/) - [Investors](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/investors/reports-presentations/) - [Media](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/media/press-releases/) - [Career](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/career/) - [Contact](https://hochdorf.com/en/contact/) #### Newsletter Subscription [![Subscribe to our newsletter](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3480252/53c6417d-812f-4360-94dd-d347bf4644b2.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3480252/53c6417d-812f-4360-94dd-d347bf4644b2) [![Hochdorf_Logo_Quer_RGB_neg](https://inside.hochdorf.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/Hochdorf_Logo_Quer_RGB_neg.png?width=4167&name=Hochdorf_Logo_Quer_RGB_neg.png "Hochdorf_Logo_Quer_RGB_neg")](https://www.hochdorf.com/en) © Hochdorf Ltd [Privacy Policy](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/privacy-policy/)  I  [Imprint](https://www.hochdorf.com/en/imprint/)