German farmers warn of total crop failures as summer drought scorches fields, 600 million euros already lost

Drought ravages southern fields

German farmers are bracing for substantial harvest losses as a persistent summer drought and unseasonably high temperatures scorche fields across the country. The German Farmers' Association (DBV) expects below-average grain harvests, especially for wheat and rapeseed, with southern Germany facing the worst damage. DBV President Joachim Rukwied warned that in southern parts of the country, some crops could see total yield failure, including potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, grain maize and soybeans. Northern regions, where occasional rain has fallen, still look acceptable but will also see below-average harvests. Rukwied, who runs a farm in Baden-Württemberg, said his operation received only 11 millimetres of rain in July and 8 millimetres so far in August, with the largest single rainfall event in July bringing just three or four millimetres.

Scale of the losses

The mid-June heat and drought period alone destroyed roughly 3 million tons of grain and rapeseed, translating to revenue losses of 600 million euros, according to the German Raiffeisen Association, which represents 1,600 cooperative enterprises in agricultural trade and processing. The association estimates the 2026 grain harvest will fall to 40.6 million tons, down from 45 million tons in 2025.

The DBV plans to present a more detailed harvest balance on Tuesday, August 18. In southern Germany, the lack of regrowing feed crops such as grass and hay has become acute, and some farms have begun slaughtering animals earlier than planned.

Farmers demand immediate aid

Rukwied has called for swift political action, proposing three immediate measures: raising EU fertilizer aid for Germany from 60 million euros to 180 million euros, advancing 80 percent of EU direct payments from December to October, and cutting agricultural diesel taxes until at least the end of November. He also told ZDF on Thursday evening that farmers need an exemption from the minimum wage and called for a tax-free risk reserve to build financial cushions for difficult years.

The financial strain is severe. Rukwied said some colleagues can no longer pay their pesticide and fertilizer bills and are turning to banks for liquidity and bridging loans. Some are drawing on their wives' savings or life insurance policies.

The economic situation is brutally tense.

He cited high input costs alongside low market prices for agricultural products as the core squeeze. Only about 3 percent of Germany's agricultural land can be artificially irrigated, Rukwied noted on the Phoenix TV channel, and that only pays off for fruit and vegetables.

Government response

Federal Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer (CSU) expressed concern about the drought's impact. He told the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger that he had reported on the worrying situation on German fields and pastures to the federal cabinet on Wednesday, August 12.

The persistent drought is already putting many farms under considerable pressure. Behind withered fields and scarce feed supplies stand families who fear for their harvest, the feeding of their animals and the future of their farms.

Rainer said the full extent of the damage will be assessed at the end of August based on official harvest data, and that the necessary steps will be taken jointly with the states. He stressed the need for cross-departmental preparedness.