With his woolly hat, straggly grey beard and unswerving passion for the wellbeing of his cows, it’s no wonder Armin Capaul has become a media sensation. And the Swiss farmer has used the limelight to his advantage.

After eight years of campaigning for farmers to be paid to keep the horns of their cattle intact, the issue will be settled in a referendum today.

“I never dreamed I’d be sitting here,” Capaul, 67, said at the launch of his referendum campaign last month. “I only wanted to give the cows and goats a voice … If the cows could choose, they’d have horns.”

Contrary to Swiss tourist board images of horned cows roaming idyllic mountain pastures, up to two thirds of cows in Switzerland are hornless. While most dairy cow breeds are born with horns, it’s widespread practice to remove them at a few weeks old using a heated iron.

Hornless animals are easier and cheaper to keep as they don’t have to be tethered in individual pens to avoid accidents. But Capaul argues that it’s cruel to deprive the animals of their horns, which he says they use to communicate, stay cool and clean themselves. He wants farmers to be granted subsidies to cover the costs associated with keeping the horns.

“The horn is a heavily perfused, life-long growing organ,” it says on the website of the cow horn initiative, which Capaul founded. “It is linked to the digestive system, important for body care, and serves to communicate among other cows. Cows and goats wear their horns with pride and mindfulness. They clarify, for example, the hierarchy at a distance, by showing each other their horns.”

Capaul, who lives on his farm on the border of Jura and Bern in western Switzerland, first wrote to the authorities asking for a subsidy in 2010. He received no reply.

So he started his own people’s initiative. Under Swiss direct democracy, a group of citizens can force a referendum on an issue if they collect 100,000 supporting signatures within 18 months. Politicians scorned Capaul at first but the media quickly fell in love with the oddball farmer.

Since then, Capaul’s long-running campaign has been the subject of thousands of news reports in Switzerland and has been picked up by foreign media across the world. His battle has inspired documentaries and books. And now, at last, his moment has come. “I’m here thanks to the media,” Capaul said at the campaign launch. “They were so enthusiastic.”

But not everyone is so enthused. Both the Swiss parliament and the federal council have spoken out against the initiative, which could cost the state an estimated 10m-30mSwiss francs (£8m-£24m) in subsidies.

Capaul’s most vocal critic is Johann Schneider-Ammann, the minister responsible for agricultural policy. He denies animals suffer from horn removal and suggests keeping them could do animals more harm than good if they have to be tethered rather than free to roam.

“The initiative would be an own goal in terms of animal welfare. It might sound nice, but it would have negative consequences for the animals and for the farmers,” he told SRF, the Swiss state broadcaster.

Polls suggest the referendum result could be close, with 49% for and 46% against Capaul’s proposed subsidy. He has said a loss would be a loss for the cows and goats, not for him. “When I’m tired,” Capaul said, “I grasp the cow’s horn in my hand and I’m filled with renewed energy.”