A serious drought has halted the production of Salers, one of the oldest cheeses in France, for the first time ever.
Climate change is affecting vineyards and other agricultural production around the world. In France, Salers cheese is the latest victim of drought, local media France Bleu reported. For the first time ever, the appellation d'origine protegee (AOP) has halted production of the cheese due to the extended summer drought.
Salers cheese carries France’s AOC stamp of approval, meaning it must come only from the milk of local cows that feed on at least 75% pasture grass. But as the drought continues, that grass has dried up – literally burnt by the sun.
"There is nothing left to eat at home. The ground is so dry, hard, that in places it looks like ashes. It's dust," explains Laurent Roux, breeder at Gaec de la Calsade in Badailhac.
Halting the manufacturing of this famous cheese will cause huge financial losses for most of the 76 breeders whose milk is used in Salers production.
Recently, France's Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne warned that the country is facing its "most severe drought" on record as it endures its third heatwave this summer.
