“In Germany we are a luxury product”: Appenzeller loses mainly in export
In 2022, cheese production in Switzerland fell for the first time in years. Sales fell, especially in exports. This is also felt by Appenzell cheese – due to inflation and the weak euro, it has become significantly more expensive in Germany, an important export market. The Tilsiter is only rarely exported. In order to increase sales again, the variety organization wants to get closer to the customers.
Cheese production at the Studer cheese dairy in Hefenhofen.
The fact that the Swiss love cheese is not just a cliché. And the love seems to have only gotten deeper in recent years: year after year, the Swiss cheese dairies produced a little more until the production volume reached a record in 2021. At that time it was more than 207,000 tons. In 2022, however, the production volume fell for the first time in years, to just under 202,000. Almost all types of cheese are affected. Only the production of mozzarella and other cream cheese increased in 2022, as the milk statistics from TSM Treuhand show.