Extreme Weather Deals Blow to European Crop Yields

European crop yields are facing a downturn as extreme weather, ranging from scorching heatwaves to relentless rainfall, disrupts agricultural production across the continent. The latest JRC MARS Bulletin revised yield forecasts downwards for nearly all major crops, falling below the five-year average in most cases.

Summer crops, particularly grain maize and sunflowers, have borne the brunt of the damage in southern, south-central, and eastern Europe.

Exceptionally high temperatures, often coupled with limited water availability, creating a harsh combination that significantly stunted crop development and slashed yield potential. Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece stand out as particularly hard-hit regions.

Meanwhile, the opposite problem plagues northern and western Europe, where an excess of rainfall throughout the growing season has hampered winter crops. Soft wheat and winter barley yields are expected to be particularly affected.

The Baltic countries suffered a particularly severe blow, with a recent intense rainfall event triggering widespread crop lodging and compromising grain quality. This meteorological catastrophe dashed earlier hopes for a positive yield outlook in the region.

Even in areas where rainfall was less extreme, like northern France, the Benelux countries, and northwestern Germany, frequent precipitation disrupted harvests and exacerbated the negative impacts of the excessively wet conditions endured throughout the season.