The Financial Times describes the situation that has developed in Greece after the deadly storm Daniel, which hit Thessaly, focusing mainly on feta production.
According to the article, about 40 per cent of the country's soft cheeses are made from sheep and goat milk produced in the central region of Thessaly, devastated by the floods that hit several Mediterranean countries this month. Greek farmers lost around 80,000 goats and sheep in the disaster, and keeping the surviving animals alive is difficult amid high water levels and scarce fodder.
As farmers are reeling from destroying their livelihoods, the floods also impact the region's industry. "The biggest blow is that many farmers in the area say that after the flood, they don't want to return to their profession," Christos Apostolopoulos, who is the president of the Association of Greek Dairy Industries, told the Financial Times.
At the same time, it is emphasized that farmers expect damages of millions of euros from storm Daniel, the worst to hit the country in almost a century, and about a quarter of the land used for agriculture and industrial production in Thessaly was flooded and probably will not be fertile for years to come.
The publication states that Greece produces about 140,000 tons of feta annually, of which about 65% is exported.
"Producers will soon face a dilemma as they will have less milk production: they will have to choose where to send their products," said Mr Apostolopoulos, who believes that feta producers will focus on export markets. "The deficiencies will be more evident in Greece," he added.
