European farmers face ‘unprecedented crisis’ after successive heatwaves
Summary
Europe is experiencing a severe crisis in farming due to intense heatwaves and a widespread drought. Crop yields for vegetables, grains, and fruits have dropped significantly in several countries, leading to concerns about food supply and livestock feed.Key Facts
- French vegetable production has fallen sharply, with some crops like broccoli down by 60% and artichokes by up to 100%.
- Heatwaves with temperatures often over 30°C and almost no rain have damaged crops across all main European farming regions at the same time.
- France’s maize harvest is expected to be 35% lower than in 2025, reaching levels not seen since 1980.
- Livestock farmers face problems as heat reduces milk output by 10-15% and hay production for winter feed is about 30% below average.
- Poultry farms in France lost many birds during the June heatwave, lowering egg production by around 1 million eggs per day.
- About 60% of Italian farmland suffers from drought, severely impacting corn, rice, soybeans, fruits, vegetables, and milk production (down 20%).
- Italy’s Po Valley, a key agricultural area especially for rice, faces serious water shortages causing farmers to irrigate less frequently.
- Spanish cereal harvests have dropped by 24-49% in some regions, and sheep and goat milk production is also down.
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