VIENNA / RankWire.AI / – Austria is experiencing significant reductions in its autumn harvest yields across key crops, primarily driven by an unprecedented drought and extreme summer temperatures. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture indicated that current projections reveal particularly steep declines in potatoes, maize, soybeans, sugar beet, and sunflowers. Potato harvests are expected to be 50% to 70% below the five-year average. Chamber president Josef Moosbrugger remarked that the autumn crop losses have surpassed earlier expectations.
The country faced an exceptionally dry year leading up to the harvest, with GeoSphere Austria noting that the 12 months ending in July marked the driest period since records began in 1850. Between January and August 12, 72% of Austria’s territory experienced an unusually high number of dry days. The eastern regions especially suffered from significant rainfall deficits, while repeated heatwaves heightened water stress across agricultural land.
Current estimates place maize production at roughly 1.5 million tonnes or less, a stark decrease from over 2.5 million tonnes in 2025. Regional maize yields are projected to have declined between 35% and 50%, according to the latest data from the chamber. Soybean output is estimated around 125,000 tonnes, a notable drop from nearly 246,000 tonnes last year. High temperatures during flowering hampered pod development and grain formation across many soybean fields.
Drought Significantly Affects Key Autumn Crops
Production of sugar beet is now forecasted at approximately 940,500 tonnes, compared to 1.98 million tonnes in 2025. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture estimates yield losses range from 30% in more favorable areas to 70% in the driest eastern parts. Sunflower yields are projected to have fallen by 35% to 50% from last year. Earlier estimates also indicated that oil pumpkin output was about 20% below the five-year average, illustrating the drought’s broad impact on several major autumn crops.
Soil type and regional conditions caused marked differences in field performance. Lighter, sandy, and gravel soils lost plant-available water earlier than heavier soils, hindering normal crop development. Some maize plants failed to produce ears, while extreme heat disrupted pollination in others. Additionally, some farmers have converted maize fields, initially intended for grain or cob harvest, into silage for cattle due to reduced harvest potential caused by drought.
Climate Data Emphasizes the Severity of Austria’s 2026 Drought
Lower yields have been observed in crops harvested earlier in the season, as reported by Agrarmarkt Austria. Its September survey recorded soft wheat yields at 59.6 decitons per hectare, down from 69.1 last year. The main production region, Lower Austria, experienced an 18% decrease in soft wheat yields. Spring barley averaged 38.1 decitons per hectare compared to 53.0 in 2025, with rye yields also declining.
These crop setbacks followed Austria’s hottest August in 260 years of recorded temperatures. GeoSphere Austria documented a national record of 41.2 degrees Celsius during that month. Significant portions of Lower Austria, Vienna, Burgenland, and northwestern Styria faced rainfall deficits of 50% to 70% in August. Harvesting is still ongoing, and the latest figures from the chamber are estimates rather than definitive national totals for the season.