Overview

• The Deutscher Raiffeisenverband reports the 2025 grain harvest reached about 43 million tonnes, a 10% rise from 2024 driven by expanded planting and modest yield increases.
• A record-dry March followed by three weeks of heavy July rains forced combines off fields, delaying harvests and degrading overall grain quality.
• Quality downgrades have slashed the share of rye fit for bread from about 90% in a normal year to roughly 40% on some farms, cutting farmer revenues.
• Harvest outcomes vary sharply by soil and region, with sandy areas like Brandenburg hardest hit and northern states such as Mecklenburg-Vorpommern performing better.
• To withstand growing weather volatility, farmers and researchers are fast-tracking water-saving soil techniques, diversified rotations and drought-tolerant seed breeding.