Spain: The paradox of Manchego cheese, it runs out of stock but there are no farmers

Manchego cheese with denomination of origin closed the year again with depleted stocks. In 2021, 16 million kilos were sold, a figure similar to that of 2020, in full confinement, although this year, unlike the previous one, when supply and demand were balanced, orders have exceeded the 'stocks' available in the dairies of the region. The trend is also maintained in exports, which continue to account for more than half of sales, with the United States, again, as the most important market, absorbing 33 percent of all production. Manchego cheese was once again the best-selling cheese outside our country among cheeses with denomination of origin. Among the most important problems facing the sector is the lack of generational change. And it is that the somewhat less than fifty certified dairies are insufficient to meet all the demand. The working conditions make it unattractive to young people and few continue the family tradition. Among ...