Overview
- Citing late June heat, farm groups report widespread losses across grain, rapeseed, maize, sugar beet and grassland with some Bavarian districts seeing 30–50% drops in yields.
- Potato tubers in parts of Belgium and southern Germany are unusually small and unsuited for industrial fries, forcing processors to draw on 2025 stocks and accept lower‑quality varieties.
- Farmers face acute fodder shortfalls and steep extra costs for bought‑in feed, with some reporting fourfold drops in silage production and warnings that operations could become financially unviable.
- Low river levels and inland transport limits threaten to worsen supply chains by blocking movement of grain, fertiliser and feed, a risk industry groups say could be as damaging as the crop shortfalls.
- Political and industry actors are negotiating targeted short‑term aid, pest‑control coordination and longer‑term resilience measures as farmers press for faster cash support and regulatory relief.