French dairy production faces regional shifts due to heatwaves

The French dairy industry is experiencing varied production impacts due to heatwaves and drought. According to François-Xavier Huard, CEO of the Fédération nationale de l’industrie laitière (Fnil), national milk production saw a slight overall decrease of 0.1% compared to 2025 as of mid-August, though regional disparities are significant.

Production fell by 2.8% in Brittany, while regions such as Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur saw increases of 7.7%. Other regions like Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes reported declines of 1% and 0.9%, respectively.

Livestock farming associations have estimated losses related to forage purchases at 5.4 billion euros. These groups are calling for 2.4 billion euros in aid from industrial processors and distributors, potentially through higher milk prices. However, Huard stated that increasing milk prices is impossible, noting that industry margins have been steadily declining for five years, currently sitting at 1.1%.