Few sectors in Switzerland escape the customs taxes imposed by Donald Trump. The consequences are felt even in the countryside, especially in milk producers. Faced with brakes on exporting cheese to the United States, they must reduce their production to avoid a drop in the price of milk.
Jean-Philippe Yerly raises 250 dairy cows to produce Gruyère AOP, a very popular cheese in the United States. But since Donald Trump threatened to impose new customs taxes, the interprofession has asked him to reduce his production by 5%.
“You have to plan, anticipate things a little and avoid being in the middle of next year with too high stocks in the cellars. It would be a bad signal for sale,” said the Friborg producer on Saturday in the 7:30 p.m.
3% of milk exported to the United States
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For Berthe Darras, coordinator at the Uniterre milk committee, the situation must however be put into perspective. Invited Friday in Forum, she recalls that only a small part of the production is concerned.
“You should know that there are 3% of milk that is exported to the United States, mainly in the form of cheese. And 50% of these exports, it is AOP Gruyère.” According to her, the majority of exports are done towards the European Union, which makes this panic “a little difficult to understand”.
>> Listen to Berthe Darras’s interview in Forum:
15% drop in exports
To avoid overproduction of milk, which would drop the prices, Jean-Philippe Yerly decided to sell several cows. “First of all, it is a drop in income. On our farm, it is just over 35,000 liters that will not be produced. So it is a shortfall,” he explains.
In the first half of the semester, AOP Gruyère exports to the United States fell 15%. In parallel, dairy production in Switzerland has proven to be surplus, forcing to transform a large part of the milk into cream and butter intended in particular the Middle East market.
A special fund of 9.5 million francs
“Butter, it can be easily stored and it is bought from peasants at a relatively high price. But on the world market, its value falls and it is this difference that we must assume,” explains Stefan Kohler, manager of Milk IP, at the microphone of RTS.
This exceptional operation should cost 9.5 million francs, funded by a special fund. An expense deemed essential to maintain a price of the milk suitable for producers.
Feriel most/Hkr
