Posted
Update
Article written by
/2021/12/14/61b8b9accb57c_france-3.png)
An emblematic Cantal cheese, Salers, has seen its production interrupted due to the drought. The cows no longer have grass to graze, and it has indeed become impossible for breeders to respect the very strict specifications of the AOP.
The conclusion is clear: too dry, and no rain expected. The green pastures of Vézac (Cantal) are only a distant memory, Friday August 12. “As we can see, we have nothing left. Everything is dry, a real doormat. Then it’s all over the farm“, confides Stéphanie Gardes, from the Gaec de Vézac. Her 50 cows can no longer feed on grass. They should be fed with fodder, but on the farm taken over from her father five years ago, she produces Salers However, the AOP specifications for this cheese are very strict: the cows must feed on at least 75% grass.
She hopes to be able to resume her activity at the end of September, if the rains arrive. Instead of Salers, it produces farmhouse Cantal, sold at a lower price. Laurent Lours, president of the AOP Salers, now also prepares Cantal. According to him, the temporary shutdown of production is necessary. “We produce cheese, but behind it, the consumer wants a quality product, a product with flavors. And its flavors, we only have them with the grass“, he explains. 1,200 tons of Salers are produced each year. If the drought continues, the shortage will be felt during the winter for consumers.