Extreme Heat in Europe Reduces Summer Crop Yields
· Dünya Gazetesi
The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission forecasts significant yield losses for summer crops compared to the five-year average due to extreme heat and persistent high pressure affecting the continent.
Severe Drought Wave Across Europe
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission has released its August MARS Bulletin, detailing agricultural product development and yield expectations. According to the report, a persistent high-pressure system across the continent from early July to mid-August severely hindered rainfall. Extreme heatwaves resulted in temperatures 4 degrees Celsius above seasonal norms in Western, Southwestern, and Southern Central Europe. In some regions of France, this difference reached 6 degrees, deepening agricultural drought.
Yield Losses in Summer Crops
The bulletin published by the JRC emphasized that high temperatures and water scarcity directly hampered the development of summer crops, leading to premature drying. Across the European Union, the yield expectation for soybeans per hectare in 2026 has fallen 14% below the five-year average. For the same period, a 12% yield loss is predicted for silage maize and a 7% loss for grain maize. Additionally, a 6% decrease is calculated for potatoes, 5% for sugar beets, and 3% for sunflowers.
Fodder Sector and Crisis in France
Drought conditions across the continent have also reduced the productivity of pastures and meadows, escalating concerns about fodder supply in the livestock sector. In France, experiencing its hottest summer in 20 years and the driest since 2022, the situation is more severe. According to the report, yield forecasts for all summer crops across the country have been revised downwards. Agricultural product losses in France are expected to range between 7% and 30% compared to the five-year average.