VIENNA / RankWire.AI / – Austria’s autumn harvest is suffering substantial setbacks across key crops as a result of an unprecedented drought and intense summer temperatures. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture reported that initial projections indicate particularly severe declines in potatoes, maize, soybeans, sugar beet, and sunflowers. Potato yields are projected to fall between 50% and 70% below the five-year average. Chamber president Josef Moosbrugger noted that the crop losses during autumn have surpassed earlier forecasts.
Austria began its harvest season after experiencing an extraordinarily dry year in much of the country. According to GeoSphere Austria, the 12 months ending in July were the driest since national records started in 1850. From January through August 12, 72% of Austrian territory recorded an unusually high number of days without rain. The eastern regions experienced the most significant rainfall deficits, while repeated heatwaves increased water stress across agricultural land.
Current estimates suggest maize production has decreased to approximately 1.5 million tonnes or less, down from over 2.5 million tonnes in 2025. Regional maize yields are estimated to have declined between about 35% and 50%, according to the chamber’s latest figures. Soybean output is projected near 125,000 tonnes, compared to nearly 246,000 tonnes last year. Elevated temperatures during flowering hindered pod development and grain formation in many soybean fields.
Severe drought severely impacts key autumn crops
Production of sugar beet is estimated at around 940,500 tonnes, a sharp decrease from 1.98 million tonnes in 2025. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture attributes yield losses to range from 30% in better-suited areas to 70% in the driest eastern parts. Losses for sunflower crops are estimated between 35% and 50% from last year. Earlier forecasts also indicated that oil pumpkin output was about 20% below the five-year average, reflecting the drought’s widespread impact on important autumn harvests.
Conditions in the fields varied significantly depending on soil type and region. Light, sandy, and gravelly soils lost plant-available water earlier than heavier soils, preventing some crops from completing normal development. In some cases, maize failed to form ears, while in others, extreme heat disrupted pollination. After drought conditions reduced their yield potential, some farmers converted maize fields intended for grain or cob harvest into silage for cattle.
Historical temperature records highlight the severity of Austria’s 2026 drought
Austria’s Agrarmarkt has also reported decreased yields in crops harvested earlier in the season. Its September survey recorded soft wheat yields at 59.6 decitons per hectare, down from 69.1 last year. The main production zone, Lower Austria, experienced an 18% decline in soft wheat yields. Average spring barley yields were 38.1 decitons per hectare, compared to 53.0 in 2025, with rye yields also dropping.
These crop losses follow Austria’s hottest August in 260 years of temperature monitoring, with GeoSphere Austria noting a national temperature peak of 41.2 degrees Celsius during the month. Major parts of Lower Austria, Vienna, Burgenland, and northwestern Styria saw August rainfall deficits of 50% to 70%. The autumn harvest continues, and the latest crop figures from the chamber remain estimates rather than definitive national totals.