Swiss farmers in Russia stay put

SRF Russia correspondent Christof Franzen (left) with farmers Jakob Bänninger (centre) and Marcel Bucher at the "Schweizarskoe Moloko" (Swiss Milk) farm. SRF/ SWI

Swiss farmers in the Russian region of Kaluga have certainly been affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine. But it’s not a topic in daily life wherever possible.

Probably the most important question at the moment must not be asked on the farm “Schweizarskoe Moloko” (Swiss Milk) in the Russian hamlet of Gorbjonki: what do the Swiss farmers, who have been producing milk here for almost 20 years, think about the war in Ukraine? Marcel Bucher, a farmer from Entlebuch, central Switzerland said before our visit that he could not and would not comment on this.

But one has to give the Swiss farmers in Kaluga credit for opening their doors in a hospitable manner and allowing a glimpse into their impressive farm. In this they differ from various Swiss companies in Russia, which have strictly refused filming requests since the beginning of the war. The farmers are also quite open about why they are so reserved about the Ukraine war.

“We have a business here in Russia, we have to take care of it. And we simply have to stay out of politics as much as possible,” says Jakob Bänninger. He adds that for certain activities, for example, they are also dependent on licences from the Russian Ministry of Agriculture. No one wants to jeopardise these, he says.

Responsibility towards locals

Bänninger is one of the three “founding fathers” who established the farm in 2004 on the land of a run-down former collective farm. He himself actually lives in Switzerland, but he is in Russia several times a year to support the “younger generation”.

Marcel Bucher and Florian Reichlin belong to this generation, both of whom have their permanent residence in Russia and have been living here for over 15 years. And that’s not going to change, despite the war. “We have invested a lot of money here in recent years. Many people live off the farm,” Bucher says. “They feed their families with their wages.” You have a certain responsibility and can’t just run away.

A tetrapak of milk from the farm “Schweizarskoe Moloko” (Swiss Milk). SRF/ SWI

Russia’s war in Ukraine is discussed as little as possible, “although there are clearly different opinions on this farm too”, we are told. “As foreigners, we don’t want to somehow take sides,” Bucher says. “We are there to farm and we want to do our things. We want to be on good terms with people and work.”

Hoping for an end to the war

And yet – of course the conflict in the neighbouring country is also present in this idyll. It’s true that none of the workers has been drafted yet, but some have relatives on the Ukrainian front. In addition, they feel the direct consequences of the sanctions when they need spare parts for their agricultural machinery, which comes from the West. Some of these are difficult or impossible to obtain.

The region is definitely affected by the war, mechanic Vadim tells us. In his village, two men have already not returned from the war. “But they don’t tell us much about that,” Vadim says contemplatively. And then adds: “If only everything would be over soon. People should just live. What do the people need? Peace and work, that’s all.”

Like many, the Russian mechanic Vadim hopes for an early end to the war with neighbouring Ukraine. SRF/ SWI

Jakob Bänninger also hopes for an early end to the war and that “everything will be the same again”. He would also be especially happy to see the tour groups from Switzerland that used to visit the farm west of Moscow every year. “Those were good times.” Now hardly anyone visits from Switzerland.

This article first appeared on Swiss public television, SRFExternal link