'Due to the Worst Drought'... France Halts Traditional Cheese Production for the First Time in History

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] As drought and heatwaves that have struck France continue for an extended period, the production of traditional French cheese has been partially halted.

On the 13th (local time), foreign media reported that livestock farmers in the Auvergne region of central France have stopped producing the traditional cheese 'Salers' for the first time in centuries. This is due to the drying up of pastures, resulting in a shortage of grass to feed the cattle.

Salers cheese, made from raw milk that is not pasteurized, has received the Appellation d'Origine Prot?g?e (AOP) certification granted by the French government to products from specific regions with unique manufacturing methods.

One of the AOP certification conditions requires that at least 75% of the cattle's feed must come from local pastures, and The Guardian explained that due to the drought, meeting this condition has become practically impossible.

A farmer lamented that there is no grass left to feed the cattle at all, and the soil has dried out to the point where it looks as if ash or dust has accumulated everywhere.

Livestock farmers are hoping that rain will fall next month so they can resume production.

France is suffering from the worst drought, with rainfall in July reaching only 9.7 mm, the lowest since 1959.

In some southern regions, even the supply of drinking water has been inadequate, leading to emergency water deliveries by truck, and crop damage is severe, with corn harvests expected to decrease by 18.5%.