VIENNA / RankWire.AI / – Austria’s autumn harvest faces significant setbacks across key crops due to an unprecedented drought and extreme summer temperatures. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture reports that current projections reveal particularly steep declines in potatoes, maize, soybeans, sugar beet, and sunflowers. Potato yields are projected to fall 50% to 70% below the five-year average. Chamber president Josef Moosbrugger noted that the losses in the autumn crops have surpassed earlier forecasts.
Following a notably dry year across much of Austria, the country entered harvest season under dire conditions. According to GeoSphere Austria, the 12 months ending in July were the driest since records began in 1850. From January to August 12, 72% of Austrian land experienced an unusually high number of dry days. Eastern regions, in particular, faced some of the most severe rainfall shortages, while repeated heatwaves intensified water stress on farmland.
Maize production has dropped to approximately 1.5 million tonnes or less, down from over 2.5 million tonnes in 2025. Current estimates indicate regional maize yield losses between 35% and 50%. Soybean output is estimated at around 125,000 tonnes, compared to nearly 246,000 tonnes last year. Elevated temperatures during flowering hindered pod development and grain formation across many soybean fields.
Severe drought severely impacts key autumn crops
Sugar beet production is forecasted at roughly 940,500 tonnes, down from 1.98 million tonnes in 2025. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture estimates yield losses between 30% in more favorable areas and 70% in the driest eastern zones. Sunflower harvests are also expected to decrease by 35% to 50%. Oil pumpkin production, previously estimated to be about 20% below the five-year average, reflects the drought’s widespread impact on vital autumn crops.
Conditions in the fields varied greatly depending on soil type and location. Lighter sandy and gravel soils lost water more quickly, leaving some crops unable to complete their growth cycle. In certain areas, some maize plants failed to develop ears, while others experienced disrupted pollination due to extreme heat. Farmers also converted some maize intended for grain or cob harvest into silage after drought conditions diminished their yield potential.
Climate records highlight the severity of Austria’s 2026 drought
Austria has also documented declines in yields of crops harvested earlier in the season. The Agrarmarkt Austria September survey reports soft wheat yields at 59.6 decitons per hectare, down from 69.1 last year. In the main production area of Lower Austria, yields decreased by 18%. Spring barley averaged 38.1 decitons per hectare, compared to 53.0 in 2025, with rye yields also experiencing reductions.
These crop losses followed Austria’s hottest August in 260 years of temperature records, with GeoSphere Austria recording a national high of 41.2 degrees Celsius. Large sections of Lower Austria, Vienna, Burgenland, and northwestern Styria experienced August rainfall deficits of 50% to 70%. As the autumn harvest continues, the latest crop figures from the chamber remain estimates rather than final national totals.