Valais

A warm and dry climate

The canton of Valais enjoys a dry climate with generous amounts of sunshine, factors which are ideal for growing crops.

The autumn, due to the beneficial effects of the Foehn wind, is often marked by significant variations in temperature between the day and the night. This provides the necessary balance to the maturing and perfect state of health of the fruits as well as the grape harvests.

Agriculture in the canton of Valais is …

…38,000 hectares under cultivation, of which 23,000 are situated in mountainous areas and more than 73,000 hectares of high mountain pastures.
…4,300 farms, more than half of which, are operated on a part time basis. Many farmers also have a second job, for example many work in the ski resorts during the winter.
…5,100 hectares of vineyards
…2,300 hectares of fruit cultivations
…2,500 hectares of large scale cultivations: cereals, beetroots, potatoes…
…14,600 cows, 65,800 sheep, 6,400 goats and 52,300 chickens
…40 million kg. of milk per year
…more than 35 organically cultivated types of aromatic and medicinal plants

The functions of agriculture

Apart from the production of foodstuffs, agriculture has a number of other important functions:

• To protect and manage the landscape, environment and biodiversity
• To maintain a decentralized habitat and a minimum population in mountainous  regions
• To contribute to a harmonious balance between society and the preservation of  ancient traditions.

In the canton of Valais, cultivation is mostly carried out in accordance with  the rules of “integrated production” which respects both the environment and the consumer. Learn more about integrated production…

Access

The canton of Valais is located in the south-west part of Switzerland, approximately 100km from both Geneva and Berne. It is also approximately 1 hour from Aosta (I), Chamonix and Evian (F) and 2 hours 30 minutes from Torino and Milan (I). The geographical spread of points of sale and suppliers may vary between 300 and 2,200 metres altitude. A number of locations are only accessible by public transportation, by car or by foot.