As drought hits Germany's harvest, will food prices rise?
Germany's main farmers' association has warned of a below-average harvest after drought and extreme heat damaged crops. DW looks into what lower yields could mean for food prices and grocery bills.
Germany's farmers have warned of a below-average harvest due to ongoing drought, which could lead to rising food prices. The German Farmers Association (DBV) reported that the country's grain harvest will be 7% lower than last year, with a shortfall of 3.3 million tons. Rapeseed production saw the largest decrease, with 3.3 million tons harvested, nearly 17% less than 2025.
Barley remained at last year's level, and potato crops were also expected to be below average. The potato harvest was expected to be significantly worse in some regions, particularly in southern and western Germany. Germany's apple harvest is also forecast to drop 18% compared to last year. While Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer said he doesn't expect prices to rise immediately, the reduced domestic supply of oil and sugar due to lower rapeseed and sugar beet production could necessitate imports.
The drought has also caused a drastic drop in animal feed stocks in several states, particularly in southern Germany. While the German Farmers Association believes lower grain yields and weaker grassland growth could push up prices for feed, meat, milk, and eggs, the main impact for most shoppers is likely to be gradual price increases rather than shortages.
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.
