Overview

• Alternating periods of early-year wetness, a dry spring and mid-July heat and heavy rains have shaped field conditions in Rheinhessen and the Pfalz.
• Farmers in southern Rhineland-Palatinate secured strong grain harvests overall despite challenging weather swings.
• Global grain prices have fallen to record lows, while input costs remain elevated, squeezing farm profit margins.
• Eberhard Hartelt attributed high operating expenses to Ukraine war fallout and pressed for regulatory relief and seasonal labor rule adjustments.
• Hartelt delivered his assessment at a Spiesheim briefing of the Bauern- und Winzerverband Rheinland-Pfalz Süd on July 17.