France: Drought's impact on the cheese industry

In this goat farm in Dordogne, southwestern France, the plants used to feed the cattle didn't survive the recent heat. They're drying up a bit here, the leaves are yellowing. Unable to let his animals graze, nor to mow the grass, the farmer is planning to buy hay for 15,000 euros. At milking time, he checks every goat's condition. Unusually high temperatures are putting a strain on the animals. I suffered, especially at the onset of the heatwave in June. I came here on a Tuesday morning and there were two dead goats. By the evening, two more had died. As a result, this year's milk production is expected to be down by 10%. And there's less fat in the milk, which is essential for making cheese. This goat cheese factory in Nariège is having to use more milk to make the same product. We adjust the quantity of ferment, we put in a bit less because there's milk and less fat. That's what cheese makers do. We adapt our methods to produce the same cheese at the end. The industry fears that if droughts keep happening, they could have an impact on the overall cheese production volume in the years to come.