France Eases AOP Cheese Rules Amid Severe Drought
French authorities have granted temporary relief from production specifications governing several cheeses protected by the Appellation d’Origine Protégée system. The National Institute of Origin and Quality, known by its French initials INAO, confirmed the measures as pasture conditions deteriorated across the Jura and Alpine regions.
Under normal AOP rules, producers of cheeses including Comté, Beaufort and Abondance must follow defined grazing practices and use locally specified feed. The temporary arrangements allow dairy farmers to add purchased fodder and grain to cattle diets. The measures were introduced after drought and heatwaves reduced the natural grass available to herds.
Comté, France’s highest-selling traditional raw-milk cheese, produced more than 62,000 tonnes last year. Its production depends substantially on grazing in the Jura mountains, where high-elevation pasture has become dry and sparse. INAO has also approved comparable temporary exceptions for Reblochon, Cantal, Bleu d’Auvergne and Fourme d’Ambert.
National forage conditions have weakened sharply. Data from the statistical service of the French Agriculture Ministry showed that grassland growth in mid-August was about 33% below its average for the previous 30 years. The ministry classified forage availability across the country as highly degraded.
The shortage has disrupted seasonal production in several regions. About 70% of Salers cheese producers in central France have stopped making the cheese for the season, according to the source. Producers of Roquefort made from sheep’s milk have asked for emergency permission to alter grazing arrangements.
Dairy farmers have also reported lower daily milk yields, citing heat stress and inadequate nutrition in cows. Makers of Neufchâtel in Normandy have recorded supply reductions of as much as 35%. The lower volumes have limited cheese production and made it harder for small farm-based processors to meet contracts in France and abroad.
Extreme heat has affected 95% of mainland France, according to the report. Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard is conducting discussions with regional authorities on wider financial and structural support measures for rural dairy infrastructure. The government and INAO have not removed the underlying AOP specifications; the reported changes are temporary feeding derogations.
