France will temporarily relax protected production rules for cheeses including comté, beaufort and abondance after drought and repeated heatwaves left grazing land scorched. The change allows farmers to give cows more imported fodder and grain, helping safeguard milk supplies and the rural livelihoods tied to traditional cheesemaking.

The drought affected 95% of mainland France in July, while permanent grassland growth was one-third below the 1989-2018 average by 10 August. Comté production totalled more than 62,000 tonnes last year, but some farmers report sharply lower milk yields; one Normandy producer’s daily output has fallen from 600-700 cheeses to 400-450. Authorities may extend similar relief to other protected cheeses, as wider agricultural losses include an expected 23% fall in this year’s potato crop.