Swiss cheese makers hit by heat wave, drought: Report

Ongoing heat waves and resulting drought conditions are putting pressure on Swiss cheese makers, causing cows to produce less milk and leaving farmers short of fodder, Swissinfo reported Monday.

The situation for dairy farmers is “very tense,” Christa Brugger, spokesperson for the Swiss Milk Producers’ Federation, reportedly told the Keystone-ATS news agency.

High temperatures cause cows to eat less and produce less milk, while reduced grass growth is also contributing to fodder shortages.

Olivier Isler, director of the Gruyere interprofessional organization, said drought and high temperatures have had “a very significant impact” on animal health and fodder availability.

The conditions have driven up production costs as farmers purchase additional feed, while also contributing to lower milk output. Some farmers have reportedly been forced to draw on winter fodder stocks to compensate for the shortage of fresh grass.

“This situation confirms that increasingly unpredictable weather conditions pose a challenge for mountain cheese-making sectors,” said Martin Siegenthaler, manager of the Tete de Moine Interprofessional Organisation.

“Only a swift return of rain and normal temperatures will remedy this situation,” he added.

Isler said Gruyere production had declined in recent months compared with the same period last year, with output expected to fall by around 10%.

“At this stage, we are seeing pressure on milk production, but we do not yet have a consolidated estimate to quantify a possible decline in Tete de Moine AOP production over the coming months,” Siegenthaler said.