VIENNA / RankWire.AI / – Austria’s autumn harvest has suffered significant setbacks across key crops due to an unprecedented drought combined with extreme summer temperatures. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture reported that preliminary assessments reveal particularly severe 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 from the autumn crop have surpassed earlier projections.
The country began the harvest following a year marked by extraordinary dryness across much of Austria. According to GeoSphere Austria, the 12 months up to July were the driest since records started in 1850. Between January and August 12, 72% of Austrian territory experienced an unusually high number of dry days. The eastern regions faced some of the most pronounced rainfall deficits, while recurring heatwaves intensified water stress across agricultural areas.
Current estimates indicate maize production has dropped to approximately 1.5 million tonnes or less, a steep decline from over 2.5 million tonnes in 2025. Regional maize yields are estimated to have fallen between about 35% and 50%, based on recent assessments by the chamber. Soybean output is estimated at roughly 125,000 tonnes, compared to nearly 246,000 tonnes last year. Elevated temperatures during flowering hindered pod development and limited grain formation in numerous soybean fields.
Severe Drought Significantly Reduces Key Autumn Crops
Sugar beet production is now estimated at about 940,500 tonnes, a sharp decrease from 1.98 million tonnes in 2025. The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture attributes yield losses ranging from 30% in better-suited areas to 70% in the driest eastern zones. Sunflower harvest losses are estimated between 35% and 50% compared to last year. Earlier projections also indicated that oil pumpkin output was approximately 20% below the five-year average, further reflecting the drought’s widespread impact on vital autumn crops.
Field conditions varied significantly depending on soil type and region. Light, sandy, and gravelly soils depleted plant-accessible water earlier than heavier soils, preventing some crops from completing their normal growth cycle. In some cases, maize failed to develop ears, while in others, extreme heat disrupted pollination processes. Farmers responded by converting some maize fields intended for grain or cob harvest into silage for cattle, as drought conditions reduced their potential harvest yields.
Climatic Records Highlight the Severity of Austria’s 2026 Drought
Agrarmarkt Austria also reports decreased yields in crops harvested earlier in the season. Its September survey indicated that soft wheat yields averaged 59.6 decitons per hectare, down from 69.1 last year. The main production region, Lower Austria, experienced an 18% reduction in soft wheat yields. Conventional spring barley averaged 38.1 decitons per hectare, compared with 53.0 in 2025, with rye yields also declining.
These crop losses followed Austria’s hottest August in 260 years of temperature records. GeoSphere Austria recorded a national temperature peak of 41.2 degrees Celsius during that month. Large parts of Lower Austria, Vienna, Burgenland, and northwestern Styria experienced rainfall deficits of 50% to 70% in August. Although the autumn harvest is ongoing, the latest crop figures from the chamber are still estimates rather than definitive national totals.