MADISON, Wis. – The cheese industry has seen sharp declines in bulk sales to schools, restaurants and hotels because of the coronavirus, the executive director of the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association said. In a year-end summary John Umhoefer. expressed hope for a 2021 recovery. Some of the loss, he said, has been offset already by a uptick in grocery sales, which were up 18%. He noted that there’s a significant ripple effect when a major industry like cheese suffers. Many electricians, equipment manufacturers, veterinarians, packagers, delivery services and trucking companies rely heavily on cheese, he said.
Umhoefer. Rocky year for cheese business.