Drought in Germany leads to crop losses worth millions

According to an industry assessment, the ongoing drought in large parts of Germany is severely affecting this summer's harvest. Since the beginning of the drought period in mid-June, around three million tons of grain and rapeseed have been lost, said the German Raiffeisen Association, which represents 1,600 cooperative companies in agricultural trade and processing. This means revenue losses of 600 million euros.

According to one estimate, the association expects a smaller grain harvest of 40.6 million tons. In 2025 there were still 45 million tons. “Only the favorable weather in spring prevented major damage,” said expert Guido Seedler. The bottom line is that it is still a sufficient but below-average harvest. "Nevertheless, the losses on the home stretch are a hard blow for agriculture, which is already suffering from sharp increases in costs."

Probably no impact on baked goods prices

The association does not expect rising consumer prices for bread and rolls, for example, given the harvest. “The share of grain in the final price of baked goods is in the low cent range,” said Seedler. The decisive factors for the prices are mainly energy, wage and bureaucratic costs.

The industry is concerned about the problems caused by low water levels in several rivers, as inland waterway vessels also transport grain. The Raiffeisen Association explained that the fact that logistics work is a crucial factor. You can read here why switching from inland waterway vessels to trucks is not that easy.

The official harvest balance of the German Farmers' Association is to be presented next week on Tuesday. The prevailing theme according to the invitation to the press conference: heat, drought and lack of precipitation.

In some regions of Germany, the drought is already causing hardship for farms. Now there are calls for government support. Read what the farmers are demanding here.