Cheese exports rose by 1.4 per cent to a total of 64,528 tons last year despite the strong Swiss franc according to the latest figures released by Switzerland Cheese Marketing.
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The organisation said the increase was due to special marketing efforts, offsetting negative six-month figures reported last August.
The big winners of 2011 were speciality cheeses, including Raclette, Vacherin and Tête de moine, while the popular Emmental, Gruyère and Appenzell varieties lost up to 9.4 per cent.
Exports of processed cheeses dropped more than 20 per cent.
Cheese imports, particularly from neighbouring countries, rose by 4.3 per cent last year.
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