As restaurants remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, around 5,000 tons of cheese could go to waste, French cheesemakers have warned.
The pandemic broke out during the seasonal peak of European milk production, resulting in the decline of the demand for high-value cheeses. Since the beginning of the crisis, French cheesemakers have seen a 60% slump in sales.
“There are producers experiencing drops in prices that are catastrophic. Today it’s the France of 1,000 cheeses that are being threatened”, said Michel Lacoste, the president of the National Council of Appellations of Diary Origin.
More than 1,000 tons of cheese has already been destroyed, given away or melted down and sold at a lower rate, Lacoste said, adding that French cheesemakers have lost more than €157 million since the lockdown began.
The EU Commission paid French farmers to temporarily store more than 18,000 tones of cheese, and allowed them to change their production methods to conserve their cheeses for longer. However, farmers are demanding the EU pay them to reduce production rather than stockpiling cheese.
