Germany: How weather extremes impact local agriculture
Heat, drought, heavy rain and late frosts are taking a toll on German farmers. They increasingly respond with adapted varieties, new crops, modern breeding techniques and modified farming methods.
For many German farmers, the late June heat wave was a disastrous timing issue. While barley was already ready for harvest in most parts of the country, the drought hit other crops during a crucial stage of growth. Horst Gömann, from Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture, told DW that corn has been particularly hard hit due to the extreme heat coinciding with the flowering period.
He explained that failing to form cobs essentially means a total crop failure, as the energy is concentrated in the cobs. In corn, the heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, hit other European growing regions even harder, reducing the value of the grain harvest in Europe by over €2 billion, with France and Hungary suffering the greatest losses.
Coceral, the European association of grain traders, lowered its grain production expectations for the European Union and the United Kingdom by nearly 9 million metric tons, a 3% decline. The research institute ECIU even expects a 5% decline. Corn is the largest contributor to the downward revision in Europe's grain forecast, accounting for about half of the adjustment.
Wheat and barley also suffered, with barley possibly harvested earlier than usual and wheat experiencing about 10% losses. Risk diversification is an essential adaptation strategy, with farmers growing different kinds of grains with varying maturity rates. For Gömann, irrigation is not always economically viable, especially for grains or corn, as the costs are too high.
The water comes primarily from groundwater, but Germany is not a water-scarce country; the issue lies in the uneven distribution. Heavy rainfall occurs in winter, while dry spells become more frequent in summer. Plant breeding plays a crucial role, with varieties from warmer European regions being cultivated in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The agricultural sector is also experimenting with new crops, such as soybeans and millet, and wine growing is slowly expanding further north. For Gömann, the condition of the soil is at least as important as new crop varieties, emphasizing the need to avoid soil compaction for roots to penetrate deeper into the ground.
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Business)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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