2 weeks ago

Punishing European Drought Shrivels Crops, Hits Farmers Across Continent

Punishing European Drought Shrivels Crops, Hits Farmers Across Continent
A Punishing European Drought For Farmers; Shrivels Continent Crops · deccanchronicle.com

This summer, Europe has been very, very hot and dry, and lots of places haven't had enough rain.

Plants need water to grow, so many farmers' crops are dying or not growing well.

Potatoes in the Netherlands, corn in Bosnia, grapes in Italy and hops for beer in the Czech Republic are all in trouble.

Some experts think the hot, dry weather could cost European countries around 180 billion euros.

One Dutch farmer says his potatoes will be too small to make the long French fries people want.

A corn farmer in Bosnia says his fields used to grow lots of corn, but this year he may not have a harvest at all.

The Danube River is so low that boats carrying grain can't move easily, leaving crops piling up.

Even a big farm in England that built a giant water tank is worried it will run out of water.

The extra heat is partly because the Earth is getting warmer, which makes droughts like this more likely.

Key facts

Event
European drought and heatwaves
Estimated EU GDP impact
1% in 2026, about 180 billion euros ($208 billion)
Dutch potato harvest
Expected down about one-third
Bosnian corn yield
1.5-2 tons per hectare, down from 6-7 tons
Danube River
Record-low water levels disrupting grain transport
Elveden Estate reservoir
Nearly dry less than a year after opening
Hungarian dairy farm
No rain since late May; buying expensive feed
Czech hops
Plzeňský Prazdroj expects losses from stunted yield

Quotes

Hendrik Jan ten Cate

Zeeland farmer

““People want long fries,” he says. “That’s going to be tough this year.””
deccanchronicle.com

Sources

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